


Small Problems

by Funtimewriter, TheNutCracker



Category: Adam Levine (Musician), Blake Shelton (Musician), Shevine - Fandom, The Voice (US) RPF, The Voice RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Cages, Established Relationship, Kidnapping, M/M, Miniaturization, Naughty!adam, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Overly worried!Blake, People as Pets, Protective!Blake, Size Difference, Slavery, smol!adam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-02-15 13:02:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13031694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Funtimewriter/pseuds/Funtimewriter, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNutCracker/pseuds/TheNutCracker
Summary: Adam glanced down at himself.  Everything he saw looked normal. But Blake’s hands were bigger than his chest.  When Adam looked down, he seemed to be high above the ground.  Blake’s torso, where Adam clung to his shirt, was bigger than Adam’s entire body.“This isn’t real,” he announced.  “Someone spiked my drink, and now I’m on some sort of acid trip!”“Oh, I wish that was the case,” Blake groaned.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As this was a Christmas gift from the one and only @funtimewriter that she wrote mainly because of my excessive obsession with anything smol and miniature, it was simply TOO CUTE to not share with everyone. Enjoy!
> 
> PS: keep an eye on my tumblr (legentla.tumblr.com) if you’d love to see more artworks about this story as I’m planning to make more in the future.

            Adam was going to win this.  He was sure of it.  And out at their table, he was sure Blake knew it, too.

            He went into the final chorus of his song, letting his falsetto soar over his guitar, and saw Blake smile.  When Adam finished, Blake was the first one on his feet.  Victory!  Adam shot him a wink and pumped his fist.  Blake only laughed and beckoned him back over.  Adam took another bow and quickly headed offstage.

            Blake was shaking his head.  “Not bad,” he offered.  “Mine was better, of course, but that’s a given.”

            “You will be calling me ‘Best There Ever Was’ all day,” Adam declared.  “All day, Shelton!”

            “We’ll see about that,” was all Blake said.  He cocked his cowboy hat up and smirked at Adam.  “I’ll have you know I got a free drink for my performance.”

            The waitress sat a drink in front of Adam.  “On the house,” she announced.  “Great job tonight!”

            “Ha!” Adam crowed.  “In your face, Shelton!”

            Blake rolled his eyes.  “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings, Levine!”

            Adam looked towards the stage where the last singer of the night was ready to start.  She was generously proportioned.  He snickered.

            Blake glowered at him.  “Not a word.”

            Adam raised his hands.  “I wouldn’t dream of it!”  Adam gleefully sipped at his drink, his eyes on Blake.  Blake, of course, had done an exceptional job with his song, as usual.  His boyfriend’s honey-like voice had left the crowd enrapt.  Adam had no doubt Blake was the one to beat.  The sign saying “Amateur Vocalist Contest” had been too much for either one of them to resist.  The winner, hopefully Adam, would get a $200 prize and, nearly as important, bragging rights.  Blake, who would no doubt come in second, would have a nice $75 prize, while third place was a $20 gas card.  Even that would be helpful.  He and Blake were fresh out of college.  They were both working entry level jobs, Adam in tech support and Blake in marketing, at the same company.  It was where they’d met, hit it off, decided to move in together, and now, finally, started dating.

            Adam finished his drink and frowned.  It had an odd aftertaste.  It wasn’t unpleasant, just different.  Hopefully that didn’t mean anything was bad.  He’d been drinking mixed tequila drinks all night and was pleasantly buzzed.  Fortunately, he and Blake were living only four blocks from the bar, the weather was lovely, and it would be a nice easy walk home.

            And now it was the moment of truth.  Ballots were passed out and the patrons made their choice.  Adam was nearly dancing in his seat.  Blake, meanwhile, was infuriatingly calm.  He sat back, the single guitar they both shared resting against his leg, and simply grinned at Adam.  “May the best man win,” he said.

            “I intend to!” Adam retorted.

            Finally, the owner took the stage.  “Well, folks, it was about as close as they come,” he announced.  “We have a winner by only one vote!  Taking home the first prize, Mr. Adam Levine!”

            Adam whooped and stood up, pumping his fists and laughing at Blake.  Blake laughed back.  He seemed happier that Adam had won than the fact he was taking second place.  And by one vote!  Adam cocked an eyebrow at him.  “Who did you vote for?” he demanded to know.

            “You,” Blake replied.  Then he grinned.

            Damn him.  Damn him and his sweet, generous spirit and those blasted dimples and flashing blue eyes!  Didn’t matter.  Regardless of how Adam had won, the fact remained that he’d won.  Adam raced up to the stage to collect his trophy and check.  Blake, in second place, ambled along behind him.  “Congratulations, Greatest There Ever Was,” Blake said without a trace of disappointment.

            Didn’t matter.  Adam had still won.  He pulled his boyfriend into a congratulatory hug.  “When we get home, I got another prize I want from you,” he whispered.

            “You’ll get it,” Blake promised.

            Five minutes later, Adam was pacing restlessly outside of the bar, waiting for Blake.  Blake had gone to the gents.  Apparently, he was taking his dear sweet time.  Adam couldn’t wait to get him home.  He’d already decided on the position he wanted tonight.  They had a new living room chair, a gift from Blake’s mother.  Tonight, Adam wanted to break it in.  Blake could take him there.  Adam imagined himself bent over the upholstered arm of the chair with his ass in the air, Blake behind him, the big hands on his hips as he thrust away…  Yeah, that was going to make it hard to walk four blocks, think of something else.  Starting tonight, he had twenty-four hours of Blake having to call him The Greatest There Ever Was.  He was going to milk that for all it was worth.  He’d call his family, all his friends…

            “Your name is Adam Levine?”

            Adam blinked, coming out of his happy thoughts to see a plain-faced middle-aged woman in a black dress standing in front of him.  She was flanked by a man nearly as big as Blake.  The man was moving quietly around to stand behind Adam, blocking his path back to the bar.  For some reason, they both made Adam feel a bit anxious.  “That’s my name, yes,” he confirmed.  “But you’ve got the advantage?”

            “You were given a drink tonight,” she said.  “Did you drink it?”

            “Um, yeah, I drank quite a few drinks tonight, lady.  You want to be more specific?”

            “The one you got right after you sang,” she clarified.  “You have a beautiful voice.”

            “Oh, that one.  Yes, I drank it.  Was that from you?  I thought it was on the house?”

            “That may be what you were told, but it was from me.”  She smiled at him.  “You are a very beautiful man.”

            “Um, thanks?”  Adam glanced anxiously back.  In his impatient pacing, he’d wandered down the sidewalk some distance from the bar.  Blake still hadn’t emerged.  And now this big guy was blocking his path back.  He looked back at the woman.  “I’m flattered, but I’m with someone.  Thank you for the drink.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll…  Hey!  Take your hands off of me!”

            The man behind Adam had seized Adam’s arms in a vice grip.  And now the woman was chanting rapidly in some odd language, holding her hands up towards Adam.  No, he did not care for this at all.  Adam struggled and got nowhere.  So he stomped on the bigger man’s foot with all his strength.

            The man howled in pain as Adam’s motorcycle boot crushed his toes.  And suddenly Adam was free.  He tried to run back towards the bar, but the man, furious, grabbed for him again.  Adam danced out of his reach, shook off the woman when she tried to grab his arm, and started running.  Behind him, the woman was still chanting rapidly.  With no other choice, Adam bolted, racing down the street.  He darted around the side of a building.  Maybe he could circle around, head back to the bar?  Was there was a back door?  He could get to Blake, or at least get some help.  Either way, whatever the two nuts wanted, they couldn’t grab him in front of people.  He could…

            Behind him, the woman was still chanting.  And suddenly her words seemed as loud as thunder.  Adam gasped, clapped his hands over his ears, and kept running.  His body was tingling.  It felt like he had head-to-toe pins and needles, like his entire body had gone numb and was only now coming back to life.  His vision swam.  His head spun.  He stumbled, nearly fell.  And then, just as quickly as it had come, the odd sensation was gone.  All that was left was a lingering wobbliness, a weakness in his limbs that quickly faded.  And Adam was running again.  At least he didn’t feel drunk anymore.  That was something, at least.

            Unfortunately, he only got a few steps before he was seized by a pair of massive hands.  A hand nearly the size of his entire head clamped over his mouth.  An arm encircled his waist that was bigger than his thigh.  Adam felt himself lifted up, and up, high above the ground to be clasped against a torso the size of his entire body.  Adam panicked, kicking and clawing at the arms holding him.  But he was no match for the giant.  The monster who had captured him quickly ran back, heading towards a waiting van.  Adam could see the woman who had been chanting was already seated in the passenger seat of the van, beckoning the man.  The side door was open.  If they got Adam into the van, Adam realized, they could take him anywhere.  He’d never see Blake again.  No.  Adam fought with all he had, but the giant of a man who’d captured him held him with ease.  Why was he so big?

            And then the man abruptly stopped with a surprised grunt of pain.  The arms around Adam loosened.  He squirmed and kicked frantically and finally managed to get loose.  Adam fell heavily to the ground.  He looked up and saw the woman who had been chanting.  She was seated in the passenger seat of the van, her mouth gaping in dismay.  A second woman was driving the van.  She pulled forward and a man Adam recognized as the one who had blocked his path back into the bar jumped in.  Then the van took off in a squeal of tires.

            Adam panted, shaking, and looked after the van.  Everything he was seeing was wrong.  It was all too big, too much, and he was seeing it from the wrong angle.  It was overwhelming.

            And then a giant set of hands gripped him, and once again, he was lifted off of his feet.  _“No!”_ he shrieked, thrashing.

            “Adam, it’s ok, baby,” Blake soothed.  “I got no idea what the hell is going on, but I got you.”

            “B-Blake?”  Adam twisted around and saw his boyfriend.  Blake’s face was pale, his blue eyes wide and staring.  Blake had always been a big man, but now he was a giant.  He towered over Adam, shifting his grip to cradle Adam in his arms against his chest.  Adam felt like a small child.  Against his suddenly gigantic boyfriend, he may as well have been one!  “What is this?” Adam cried.  “Why are you so big?”

            “I’m not,” Blake soothed.  “I’m no bigger than I ever was.  But somehow, you’re…  Dammit, Adam, you’re three feet tall!  What the fuck happened?”

            “Huh?”  Adam glanced down at himself.  Everything he saw looked normal.  He wore the same t-shirt, skinny jeans, and motorcycle boots he’d had on earlier.  He could feel his wallet in his pocket, his cell phone and keys.  But Blake’s hands were bigger than his chest.  When Adam looked down, he seemed to be high above the ground.  Blake’s torso, where Adam clung, shivering, to his shirt, was bigger than Adam’s entire body.  The strap of the guitar’s case that Adam had carried to the bar only a few hours earlier now led to a case Adam could possibly fit inside of.  From too far below him, Blake’s cowboy boots were rapidly covering the ground.  Adam whimpered and tightened his grip on his boyfriend’s shirt.  “I don’t understand,” Adam moaned.

            “I don’t either, Rockstar, but it doesn’t matter, ok?  I got outside and saw that asshole trying to carry you off!  I’m so sorry, baby.  I ran into an old friend who wanted to talk and I wasn’t there.  If I’d been just a moment later, he would have…!”  Blake’s arms tightened around Adam.  “But I’m here now.  No one is going to hurt you.”

            Adam felt numb.  “This isn’t real,” he announced.  “Someone spiked my drink, and now I’m on some sort of acid trip!”

            “Oh, I wish that was the case,” Blake groaned.  “Just hang on, ok?  I’ll get you home, and we’ll figure this out!”

            Blake continued to carry him, half-jogging down the sidewalk.  Adam, dazed and in a state of shock, peered back around Blake’s arm.  His eyes widened.  “Blake!  That van is behind us!  We gotta get out of here, Big Country!”

            Blake glanced back, saw the van, and swore.  He broke into a run, darting into a side alley.  The van sped up and shot past the alley.

            “They’re gonna try to cut us off!” Adam warned.

            “Yeah, I figured that.”  Blake moved back to the main street and peeked around the corner.  He spotted the van rounding a corner, waited until it was gone, and then ran back out, heading across the street to an opposite alley.  Here, he ducked behind a dumpster and put Adam down.  “They probably still want you,” he told him.  “And I can’t let them see where we live.  I’m gonna try to get them to follow me, lead them away.”

            “Why are they doing this?” Adam wanted to know.

            “Don’t know, and right now I don’t care.  I just know they’re not touching you!  Here, climb back behind this dumpster and hide.  When I’m sure they’re gone, I’ll come back for you.”

            Adam obeyed, squeezing into the narrow space.  The dumpster seemed huge.  If he’d still been six feet tall, it would have been the size of a garage.  “Be careful, Blake!” Adam warned.  “I don’t understand what they did to me.  What if they do it to you?”

            “They gotta catch me, first,” Blake declared.  He leaned down and gently kissed the top of Adam’s head.  “Just stay hidden, ok?”

            “Alright.”  Adam crouched down.  He heard the sound of Blake’s boots growing distant.  Then he was alone.

            Adam squirmed as far back behind the dumpster as he could manage.  He lay down on the ground, squeezed into a space only a child could fit into.  And then he started to shake.  Reaction was finally setting in.  Bad enough someone had tried to abduct him.  But what had happened?  How had he gotten so small?  As near as he could tell, nothing about him had changed.  He didn’t feel any stronger or weaker.  His clothes fit the way they always had.  But when the man had grabbed him, he’d seemed as abnormally strong as he’d seemed big.  His strength seemed to be proportional to his body.  That, he realized, was the problem.  Proportionally, he was the same as he’d been.  But if Blake was right, he was only about half of his former size.  And that meant he was quite likely at half of his normal strength, too.  How had this happened?  Was it permanent?  How would he go on?  He couldn’t drive a car.  He wouldn’t be able to sit at his desk.  Adam doubted he’d even be able to climb into his chair, much less see and reach to use his computer.  He could open doors, but he’d never be able to unfasten the chain on the door of their apartment.  He couldn’t reach the stove to cook, couldn’t reach half of what was in their refrigerator, or any of the upper cabinets in the kitchen.  Getting into bed would be a struggle, if he could do it at all.  He couldn’t do laundry or go grocery shopping.  He was, in a word, helpless.

            Helpless.

            Adam let out a soft cry of dismay and let his tears come.  He’d never been so frightened in his life.  What if the man came back?  If he found Adam, he could simply scoop Adam up again, carry him off.  There was literally nothing Adam could do to stop him.  Why had this been done to him, and how?  The woman back at the bar had given him a drink, and then when she’d caught him outside, she’d chanted something.  Some kind of magic spell?  That was absurd.  But then again, so was the idea that a six-foot man could somehow shrink to half his size!

            This couldn’t be permanent.  There had to be a way to reverse it.  Adam needed to believe that now.

            Meanwhile, he had nothing to do but wait.

            The minutes ticked past, seeming to stretch into hours as Adam lay terrified behind the dumpster.  He had no idea what to do.  They’d tried to take Adam into a van.  What would have happened to him if Blake hadn’t stopped them?  Would Adam be dead?  That made no sense.  Why take the time to shrink and abduct him only to kill him?  But why shrink him at all?  They obviously wanted him for something.  What could it be?  What possible benefit could anyone gain by shrinking him to the size of a small child?

            Adam desperately wanted Blake to come back.  Splitting up like this was a mistake.  What if something had happened to Blake?  If those people could do this to Adam, what would they do to his boyfriend?  Should he go look for Blake?  Should he wait?  How long had it been?  How much longer could he wait?  What if Blake needed help?  But even if he did, what could Adam do in his current condition?

            He had to know.  He had to find Blake.

            Adam crawled out from behind the dumpster and brushed the dirt off of his clothing.  The walls of the buildings loomed over him.  He jogged to the end of the alley and carefully peeked around the corner.  Nothing.  The street was empty.  He turned to check the other side and cried out in dismay at the huge hands reaching for him.

            “Dammit, Adam!” Blake scolded, lifting Adam up.  “I told you to stay hidden!”

            Adam clung to Blake’s neck.  “I got scared.  I thought something had happened to you!”

            “I’m fine.  They chased me for a bit, but I lost them.  Now let’s get you home.”

            Adam thought that was a fantastic idea.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some artworks that almost took me one whole day and ended up looking so much like a cleaned sketch. Welcome to my world hehe 
> 
> I love this chapter to be honest. *smooch fun*

 

           The apartment was a welcome relief, even as it presented Adam with more challenges.

            The first was something Adam hadn’t considered – the bathroom.  Adam finally made himself a makeshift step he could use to stand and relieve himself out of a plastic milk carton.  He dragged the milk carton over to the sink to wash his hands.  Then he headed back out to find Blake.

            Blake was sitting on the living room with his battered laptop in his lap.  “I’m trying to figure out how we can reverse whatever the hell happened to you,” he explained when Adam came in.  “But I honestly don’t even know where to look.”

            Adam struggled to climb up onto the couch, made it, and sat next to Blake.  His eyes strayed from the monitor, moving to the new chair.  He’d had plans for that chair.  But now those plans couldn’t come to fruition.  Even if Blake wanted him like this, he simply couldn’t accommodate him.  His hands clenched into fists.

            “Do you know anything at all about how this happened?” Blake was asking, oblivious to Adam’s distress.

            “These two people, a man and a woman, caught me outside the bar,” Adam replied softly.  “The lady asked me if I’d finished the drink, the one that the waitress said was on the house?  I told her yes, and the guy grabbed me!  Then the lady started chanting something and I felt really weird.  I got loose and started running, the weird feeling got worse.  And then the next thing I know, the man was scooping me up!”  He squeezed his eyes tightly shut.  “He just picked me right up, Blake, and there wasn’t a damned thing I could do to stop him!”

            “Hey, it’s ok,” Blake soothed.  “He tried hard to get you, but he didn’t.  Ok?”

            “No, it’s not ok!” Adam yelled.  “Blake, what did they do to me?  What if this is permanent?  Do you realize we can’t be…  You won’t be able to have sex with me, alright?  I mean, I can still do oral, but you’ll never be able to mount me again!”

            By the look on Blake’s face, that was not something he’d thought about.  He went a bit pale.  His jaw worked.  But then his eyes hardened.  “Adam?” he began.  “That is a bridge we will cross when and if we come to it.  Right now, our first priority is to make sure you’re safe until we can figure out what happened and how to reverse it.  Alright?”

            Adam nodded.  “Alright.”

            “Ok.  So this lady was chanting, you said.  You think this is some kind of magic spell?”

            Adam wanted to roll his eyes and scoff.  But all he had to do was look over at Blake, see his boyfriend looming over him, and know that he’d already progressed well past the point where he could scoff at anything.  “Maybe,” he said softly.  “I just don’t know, Blake!”

            The big arm went around Adam.  Then he was gathered up and pulled into Blake’s lap.  It was nice, but even as Adam thrilled to the knowledge that his boyfriend could handle him easily, he hated the further reminder of how helpless he was.  Blake was holding him with almost no effort.  Irritated, Adam tried to squirm free.  Oh, here was another reminder, thank you very much.  He couldn’t budge Blake’s arm an inch.

            Once more, Blake was oblivious.  He cuddled Adam close as if he was a pet, heedless of his squirming, his attention fixed on his laptop.  “Ok, so there’s unsurprisingly very little available about magic spells,” he explained.  “I think it’s safe to say that we have zero chance of reversing this thing ourselves, so I thought we’d focus on finding a practitioner.”

            Adam grunted, pushing at Blake’s arm.  “Blake?”

            “The problem, obviously, is how do we figure out who’s real and who’s a fake or a nut?”  Blake scrolled through the listings.  “There’s all these people who claim to be psychic, a few magicians who do shows and stuff, those are probably not real…”

            In Adam’s mind, the man had picked him up.  He remembered struggling, remembered that sick, trapped, helpless feeling as he was carried towards the van.  No.  It wasn’t really happening.  This wasn’t the man holding him here.  This was Blake.  But somehow, it didn’t seem to matter.  He was caught, trapped again.  He needed loose.  Adam tried pulling on Blake’s arm, hoping he could slip out from under it.  “Blake?”

            “Well, this is promising, at least,” Blake mused, absently tightening his arm around Adam.  “‘Practitioner of the Arcane Arts,’ how fancy!  I suppose we could give her a call, right?  Not like…”

            The van was getting closer and closer in Adam’s mind.  He’d be taken somewhere far away where he’d never see Blake again.  What would happen to him?  No.  No.  Adam frantically kicked, clawing at Blake’s arm.  “Let me go!  Let _go!”_

            Startled, Blake let him go.  Adam immediately slid down and started running.  He raced through the apartment back to the bedroom and scurried under the bed.  There, he panted and trembled among the dust bunnies.  His heart was pounding.

            “Adam?”

            Adam could hear the sound of Blake’s footsteps as he walked towards the bedroom.  Now he could see Blake’s socked feet.  “Adam?  You ok, buddy?”

            Adam pressed himself down against the floor.  He was shaking like a leaf.  He could still feel the man’s hands on him, still feel the small shakes as his kidnapper took step after step, carrying him towards the waiting van…  He clenched his jaw shut, but couldn’t keep back a small sound of distress.

            Blake froze, obviously hearing the sound.  He stood where he was for a moment.  Then he got down on his hands and knees and peered under the bed.  “Hey,” he called softly, spotting Adam.  “What’s the matter?  Ok, stupid question, a whole hell of a lot is the matter, but why are you hiding under there?”

            Adam simply stared at him, trembling.  But when Blake reached for him, he cried out and quickly crawled backwards.  “No!” he cried.  “Don’t, please, Blake, just leave me alone, ok?  I can’t take anymore!”

            Blake immediately withdrew his hand.  “Ok, buddy, calm down.  I’m not gonna touch you.  Can I just stay here by you until you calm down and talk to me?”

            Adam shuddered.  “Yeah.  I’d… I’d like that, Blake.  Just, please, don’t touch me!”

            “I won’t.”  Blake lay on his side, watching Adam under the bed.  He made no move to reach for him.  “Talk to me, buddy,” he urged.  “All I can see are these huge, scared hazel eyes.  You’re breaking my heart, Rockstar!  Tell me what’s going through your head?”

            Adam whimpered.  “They shrunk me,” he managed.  “Now I’m helpless!  That man, he just took me, Blake!  He just picked me up like I was nothing and started carrying me to that van.  They almost got me!  And they can do it again.  Any time, they can just take me away!  I’m so scared, Blake!”

            “I know, baby, I know you’re scared,” Blake soothed.  “I’m not gonna let anyone touch you, ya hear?”

            “But Blake, you can’t constantly be with me!”

            “The hell I can’t!”

            Adam rapidly shook his head.  “Even if they never get their hands on me again, look at me!  My whole life is ruined, Blake!  I can’t even have sex with you anymore!  What am I going to do?”

            “What you’re going to do is stay right here where you are and let yourself react,” Blake told him.  “This whole thing is a huge shock.  Hell, I’m kind of spinning myself!  Whatever you’re feeling now, it’s fine, Rockstar.  I’m here.  I’ll do whatever you ask me to do, and if you need me to just leave you alone, that’s fine, too.”

            Adam closed his eyes, folded his arms on the floor in front of him, and lowered his face to them.  And then his shoulders shook with sobs.  He released his pent-up emotions, crying unashamed in front of Blake.

            Blake didn’t make a sound.

            After Adam finally cried himself out, he looked up and Blake was still there.  The big man’s hand was fisted into the carpet.  The blue eyes were full of anguish as he watched Adam.  Knowing Blake the way he did, Adam knew his cowboy was aching to touch him and comfort.  He loved Blake even more for holding back.

            Adam crawled forward.  He paused, eyeing Blake.  But when Blake didn’t move, Adam kept going.  He moved forward until he was pressed against Blake’s side.  Then he reached out, pulling on Blake’s arm until it rested over him.  He closed his eyes, sighing.  “I’m sorry.  When you held me like that in the living room, I couldn’t get loose and it reminded me…”

            “It’s ok.”  Blake gently ran his fingers through Adam’s hair.  He smiled as Adam blinked sleepily.  “Tired?”

            Adam nodded.

            Blake jerked his head towards the bed.  “You want up on this bed?”

            “Let me climb up myself,” Adam said.  “Don’t pick me up!  I don’t want to…  I don’t want to go back there in my head again, ok?”

            “Alright.”

            Adam got up and, after a bit of a struggle, managed to get up on the bed.  Blake stood back and simply watched.

            The bed seemed as big as a room.  Adam climbed up to the pillows, realizing with dismay he could probably lie completely on one now.  He pulled off his boots, grimacing at the bits of dirt he’d already gotten into the bed.  Then he shimmied out of his clothes until he was in his underwear.  He looked down at himself and chuckled.  “I’m going to need a whole new wardrobe,” he announced.

            “Oh great,” Blake groaned.  “An excuse for you to go shopping for clothes!  Nice to know some things never change.”

            “I guess I’ll be shopping in the kids section now,” Adam said.  His voice went soft.  “Maybe forever.”

            “Hey, don’t talk like that,” Blake scolded.  “Maybe you’ll wake up and be back to normal?”

            “Maybe.”  That was hopeful.  Adam dragged the covers up.  Then he looked expectantly at Blake.

            The big man hadn’t moved.  He was looking at Adam on the bed, a strange expression on his face.  “I think maybe I should grab my camp mat and crash out on the floor,” Blake said.

            Adam blinked.  “Why?”

            “Because what happens if I roll over on you in the middle of the night?”

            Adam hadn’t thought of that.  He sat up, wrapping his arms around his knees and pulling them to his chest.  “You won’t,” he announced.  “I know you won’t.  I’ve never woken up before with you on top of me, except, you know, when you’re interested and trying to wake me up.  But I don’t believe for one moment that you’d squish me, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

            It clearly was.  Blake’s brow was furled in worry.  “Adam, I’m sorry,” he began.  “I know you really hate sleeping alone, but I don’t think I’d sleep a wink!  I’ll be up all night worrying about you.”

            “Oh.”  Adam’s shoulders drooped in disappointment.

            Blake groaned loudly.  “Dammit, don’t give me that look!  For fuck’s sake, I could completely crush you, Adam!  It’s dangerous!”

            “I understand.”  Adam sadly rolled over, facing away from Blake and pulling the covers over his shoulders.

            Blake made a noise that was half moan and half growl.  “Dammit!  Alright, but if anything happens, I’ll never forgive myself.”

            Adam popped up like a jack-in-the-box.  “You’ll come to bed?”

            “Yes, dammit, I must be a damned idiot,” Blake grumbled.  “Let me turn off the computer and the lights and I’ll come to bed.”

            Adam practically vibrated.

            A few minutes later, Blake was dressed in a comfortable shirt and a pair of boxers and carefully climbing into bed next to Adam.  Adam let him get adjusted.  Then he scooted over until he was pressed against Blake’s side, his head on Blake’s shoulder and his back supported by the big man’s arm.  He couldn’t recall ever being more comfortable in his life.

            Blake, for his part, was stiff as a board.  Adam laughed and poked him in the ribs, earning a grunt.  “Relax, would you?” he called.  “You won’t squish me.  I promise you won’t!”

            “You can’t promise that, Rockstar.”

            “Yes, I can, because I know you, Big Country,” Adam declared.  “You’ll sleep around me just like you slept around Ol’ Red when we had him.  You never once rolled over on that dog.  In fact, I seem to recall one instance where you actually fell out of bed because that damned mutt crowded you in your sleep and you just kept giving him more and more room until…”

            “Alright, alright,” Blake laughed.  He’d definitely relaxed now.  “Thanks for reminding me of that.  I feel a hell of a lot better.”  He reached over, gently stroked Adam’s face.  “Maybe, when we wake up?  You’ll be back to normal, and it will be like this whole nightmare never happened!”

            “Yeah, maybe,” Adam agreed.  He snuggled in and closed his eyes.

            Blake was so warm.

            It seemed like an instant later when Adam fell asleep.

****

            The section of mattress Adam was lying on was very warm.  Somewhere nearby, Blake was pounding something.  It should have been annoying but it was actually fairly soothing.  The steady pounding, bump-bump, bump-bump, was almost lulling him back to sleep.  The blankets were heavy over him, a comforting weight.  Adam nuzzled down, shifted slightly.

            From somewhere above him, he heard Blake mumble something.  And then the steady bump-bump became quicker.  The blankets somehow twitched over him.

            “Adam?  Adam!”

            Strange.  The sound of Blake’s voice was simultaneously above Adam’s head and rumbling beneath him, somehow coming from the mattress.  Adam grumbled and squeezed his eyes tighter.

            The rhythmic pounding was much faster now.  “Adam, no, oh baby, please!” Blake moaned.

            Then the entire mattress shifted, the bed abruptly rising up at the head.  Adam woke up with a start, clung to the sheet over the mattress to keep from sliding down out of the bed.  But the blankets somehow held him in place, not sliding a bit.

            “Oh Adam!”  Blake sounded as if he was crying.  “Baby, I’m so sorry!”

            Adam blinked the sleep out of his eyes and looked up.  Blake’s face loomed over him, the size of a truck.  Blake looked absolutely horrified.  The blue eyes were filled with anguish, welling up with tears.  Adam caught movement from the corner of his eye, turned, and saw a thumb bigger than his leg.  It gently pressed against Adam’s back.  Shocked, Adam looked down.  The “blankets” were actually a gigantic hand that cupped him against an equally gigantic chest.  The thudding sound he’d heard was Blake’s heartbeat.  Blake was holding him as if he was a _doll._

            He’d shrunk again during the night.

            Adam shook.  His breathing came in panicked gasps.  “How small?” he managed.  “How small am I now?”

            Blake grimaced.  “I’d say you’re about six inches tall,” he admitted.

            Adam whimpered.  He looked around and saw Blake’s breast pocket to his left.  Gripping at Blake’s shirt, he started climbing.  Blake, puzzled, carefully supported him, letting Adam climb until he’d managed to reach the pocket.  Then Adam climbed inside of it.  The pocket was like a warm, dark cave.  Adam ducked gratefully down into it and curled up into a ball.

            “Adam?” Blake called softly.

            “Just let me be for now, ok?” Adam replied.  “You just, I don’t know, do whatever you’re going to do, and let me alone in here.”

            “Y-you want to stay in my pocket?”

            Adam nodded, forgetting Blake wasn’t likely to see it.  “I just need some time to adjust, ok?  Maybe have another panic attack?”

            “Alright.”  Blake’s voice was soft.  “Whatever you need.”


	3. Chapter 3

            Adam stayed in Blake’s pocket for some time.  It was a horrible reminder of his situation, but at the same time, it was comforting.  The pocket kept him warm and safe against Blake’s chest as Blake moved around.  And Blake was so careful.  He moved slowly, taking care not to jostle Adam too much.  Adam could see a bit through the fabric.  Blake was scooting around on the floor of the bedroom on his knees, picking up things from the floor.  Then he got up and headed for the kitchen.  A short time later, the smell of bacon, eggs, and toast filled the air.

            Adam stirred, getting to his feet so he could look out of Blake’s pocket.  He folded his arms across the top of the pocket and watched Blake cook.  “You hungry?” Blake asked softly.

            Adam nodded.  “Yeah.  Blake, how the hell am I supposed to go to the bathroom?”

            “I’ll set out a saucer or something.”

            Adam made a face.  “Dude, that’s disgusting!”

            “It’ll work, though.  Don’t worry, alright?  I’ll do whatever I have to do to help you.  Right now, I’m trying to figure out how to feed you.”

            Adam eyed the food.  “Just cut off little pieces for me, I guess?”

            “I suppose.”  He brightened.  “Hey, there’s that lady that makes stuff for dolls, where we brought that dollhouse for your niece?  Henley’s Custom Doll Accessories!  We can go there, see what we can find for you?”

            Doll furniture.  Doll clothes.  Adam squeezed his eyes tightly shut and nodded.  “Alright.  We had to spend a small fortune for that thing, though.  Her shit’s really good, but it’s expensive as a motherfucker.”

            “It’s ok.  We got the prize money from the singing contest last night to use,” Blake assured.  “I’ll spend whatever I need, ok?”

            “Dammit Blake, you gotta watch your money!” Adam protested.  “It’s fairly obvious that I won’t be able to work now.  We just became single income!”

            Blake stiffened.  “Adam?  I do not give a shit.  I will work this out, alright?  You have enough to worry about.  Now, let’s eat and we’ll head out to that shop!”

            Adam went quiet.

            Blake moved to the table and bent forward, cupping his hands to create a ramp that let Adam crawl out of his pocket and onto the table.  Then he plated the food and sat it down on the table.  He busied himself with his knife and fork, cutting tiny pieces of bacon, eggs, and toast and pushing it towards the edge of the plate.  Then, inspired, he got a toothpick, broke off the end, and handed it to Adam.  “You can use it to spear the food,” he explained, “so you don’t have to touch everything with your hands.”

            Adam smiled at that.  “Smarter than you look, Big Country!”

            “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

            Adam speared a bit of egg and took a bite.  Needed salt and pepper.  But of course, that wouldn’t work.  A single flake of pepper would fill up Adam’s entire palm now.  He’d have to get used to largely-unseasoned food.

            After they’d both eaten, Blake carefully helped Adam back into his pocket and took him into the bathroom.  There was no getting around using a teacup saucer to do his necessary morning business.  Blake left him with a single square of toilet paper Adam could tear strips off of to clean himself.  The entire thing was disgusting.  No help for it, though.  Adam looked unhappily up at the sink.  He felt dirty, grimy, and smelly, but he had no idea how he’d clean himself up.

            Then Blake returned, carrying something green and plastic.  He busied himself at the sink and then carefully lowered the item to the floor near Adam.  To Adam’s surprise, it was a tiny tub with a mirrored bottom.  “It’s for a parakeet I used to have,” Blake explained when Adam looked at him.  “Lucky I still had it in a storage box.  I scrubbed it out good.  You can use it to get cleaned up.  Here.”  He put the dish of soap next to the tub and handed Adam a cotton ball.  Next, he produced a spoon and put a drop of two-in-one shampoo on it, placing it next to the tub as well.  Then he put a hand towel down near the tub and picked up the saucer to clean it.

            Adam shook his head.  Blake was so much smarter than people gave him credit for!  He stripped out of his underwear and got into the tub.  The mirrored bottom was interesting.  It gave him a view he’d never really had before.  Oh well.  Adam scooped up some shampoo and washed his hair.  Then he wet the cotton ball, rubbed it against the soap, and used it to clean himself up.  The water started out warm, but quickly cooled.  A prolonged soaking was out of the picture right now.  But at least he was clean.  He climbed out of the tub, went to the hand towel, and considered.  Then he jumped onto the towel and started squirming around, rubbing himself dry.  He pulled up a corner of it to dry his hair.  Then he plopped backwards, naked and clean, onto the towel.  It was kind of nice.

            “You know, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re kind of adorable all tiny,” Blake called.

            Adam looked up and saw his boyfriend at the door.  He smiled and gave Blake the finger.  “One problem I’ve got now,” Adam called.  “I got nothing to wear except my underwear.”

            “Actually, you’re wrong,” Blake replied.  He stepped closer, held out his closed hand, and then opened it.  Adam’s t-shirt, jeans, socks and motorcycle boots he’d been wearing last night tumbled onto the hand towel next to him.  “They were still on the floor where you threw ‘em,” Blake reported proudly.  “I even found your socks!”

            Adam sat up and picked up the clothes.  “They all shrunk too?”

            “Looks that way,” Blake confirmed.  “Maybe that drink was just something they needed to make living tissue shrink, and the spell shrank everything else?”

            Adam didn’t care.  He quickly dressed, relieved that he didn’t have to run around in his underwear.  The boots especially he was grateful for.  He doubted anyone would make doll shoes as comfortable.

            Blake stepped closer and held out his hands cupped together for Adam to climb in.  Adam did, grateful Blake didn’t just grab him.  His boyfriend was so thoughtful.  Blake carefully lifted Adam, bringing him to the level of the sink.  “I’ve been trying to figure out how to let you brush your teeth,” Blake explained.  “I thought maybe a Q-tip?”

            “That will work for the most part,” Adam agreed.  “Then I’ll just tear off another piece of cotton from it to get my back teeth.”

            Blake helpfully supplied a Q-tip and a bit of water in a medicine cup.  Then he uncapped the toothpaste and set it near Adam.  Adam managed to brush his teeth while Blake quickly showered.  Then he sat on the edge of the sink, legs dangling over the edge, and waited until Blake emerged, naked and dripping, from the shower.  He grinned.  “Always said you were hung like a horse,” Adam called.  “Now I can ride ya, cowboy!”

            Blake laughed and blushed.  “Asshole.”

            “Dickhead!”  Adam fondly admired the view while Blake dried himself and changed.  Blake had, he noted fondly, selected a shirt with a large, comfortable-looking breast pocket.  He again cupped his hands, forming a platform for Adam to climb on, and then brought him to his pocket.  Adam slipped into it.  He rooted around inside the pocket, tossing out bits of lint, and then settled in, leaning against the top of it.  “Ok, Tex!” he called.  “Off to the doll store!  Giddy up!”

****

            Adam rode in Blake’s pocket as the big man drove out to the doll store.  The specialty shop did surprisingly well.  Adam knew the proprietors took custom orders from all over the world.  Blake let him out onto a shelf filled with clothing.  “Why don’t you start here?” Blake suggested.  “Find stuff you can wear, and I’ll look at furniture and shit like that.”

            “Thanks.”  Adam knew Blake hated shopping for clothing.  But Adam was already enjoying himself.  He headed towards the selection of clothing as his boyfriend headed towards the dollhouse section.  Most of the clothing was geared towards female dolls, but the specialty shop also had a decent selection for males.  Adam started making a pile of clothing.  There were multiple t-shirts designed after larger versions that looked like they would fit him.  Adam even found several pairs of tiny jeans.  He snuck behind a display and tried a few things on, discovering that they fit surprisingly well.  Adam was delighted to discover that the store even carried boxers and tiny socks.  His pile grew, and with it, his tension started to drain.  This could work.  He found a tiny leather jacket and tried it on.  It fit perfectly, closing with miniscule snaps in the front.  Shoes, as he’d suspected, were a problem.  Adam was glad for his boots.  What would he do when they wore out?  Well, the shop took special orders.  It would be pricey, but Blake could probably order him some custom-made shoes.  As it was, the pile of clothing Adam had gathered would take up all of his prize money from last night and then some.  He hoped the doll furniture Blake was getting wouldn’t be too much.  He knew he’d have to pare down his pile.  Well, make the pile first, then figure out what he could do without.

            Adam had just added a comfortable-looking pair of miniature flannel pajamas to his pile when he was suddenly seized by a giant hand.  He gasped, looking up to see the stunned face of a woman.  Her hair and make-up were perfect, and she wore an expensive looking dress.  “Hey!” he squawked.  “What’s the idea?  Put me down!”

            The woman’s jaw dropped open in shock.  Then it curled into a delighted smile.  She handled Adam, looking him over and experimentally bending his arms and legs, ignoring his yells of protest.  “Amazing!  Walking, talking, and, oh!  Tiny little tattoos!”  She closed her hand around him.  “You’re perfect!”

            “Come on, put me down!”  Adam squirmed frantically.  The woman’s hand had closed around his body, pinning his arms to his sides and encasing his body from his chest clear down to his thighs.

            The woman paid no attention.  She hurried towards the front of the store, carrying Adam towards the register.  There, she held him up, displaying him to the surprised clerk at the register.  “I’ll take him,” she announced.  “I don’t care what he costs!”

            The woman was obviously wealthy.  She was apparently used to being able to buy whatever she wanted.  But Adam didn’t care.  “Dammit, lady, I’m not for sale!” Adam protested, kicking.  “I’m not a toy, alright?  Let me go!”

            “What the…?”  The clerk leaned forward, wide-eyed.  “Mrs. Henley!  Come out here!”

            Now Mrs. Henley, the store owner, came bustling out and stared at Adam.  The woman who had grabbed him set him down on the counter.  Adam stumbled, looking around at the three women.  All three were staring and cooing as if he was an exquisite doll.  Not good.  Where the hell was Blake?

            “I found him back in the clothes section,” the woman was explaining.  “I’ve never seen such a realistic doll in all my life!  Name your price!”

            “I’m not a fucking doll!” Adam yelled.  “Keep your hands off of me.”  Disgusted, he started storming off along the counter.  But he paused when he came to the end.  That was a long, long way down.  Adam was looking for a way to climb down when once again a hand closed around him.  “Stop!”

            This time, it was the store owner who had picked him up.  “How is this possible?” she asked.

            “I don’t know, but it is!” Adam yelled, kicking.  “I’m not a toy!  Put me down!”

            “Wait, he isn’t yours?”  The woman who had originally taken him smiled.  “Then he’s mine!  Give him back.”

            “Hold it,” Mrs. Henley cautioned, holding Adam out of the other woman’s reach.  “He’s in my store.  He belongs to me.”

            Adam squirmed.  “I don’t belong to anyone!  Leave me alone!”

            The first woman narrowed her eyes.  “Give him back!”

            “Um, can the three of us maybe share him?” the clerk suggested.  Her eyes shone as she looked at Adam.  “My daughter would go nuts!  A doll that can talk, even though his language isn’t really appropriate.”

            “I’m not a fucking doll!” Adam yelled.  He was getting madder by the minute.  “Let the fuck go of me!”

            The rich woman tossed her head.  “I found him!  He’s mine!”

            “He was in my store!  But Rebecca is right.  Let’s not fight over him, Mrs. Witherspoon.  We can…”

            Mrs. Witherspoon lunged over the counter towards Adam.  “Give him back!”

            “Leave me alone!” Adam roared.  _“Blake!”_

            And suddenly Blake was there.  “Take your hands off of my boyfriend,” he growled.

            That earned him three surprised looks.  “Boyfriend?”

            “Yes, dammit, how many times do I have to tell you?  I’m a person, not a fucking doll!” Adam yelled.  “Put me the fuck down, right fucking now!”

            Mrs. Henley quickly set Adam back down on the counter, and Blake promptly snatched him up.  The big hand covered Adam’s entire torso from below his arms down almost to his ankles, leaving only his feet protruding beneath Blake’s hand.  But at least his arms were free.  Adam clung to Blake’s hand, glaring daggers at the three women.  “They thought I was a toy!” Adam spat.  “They were fighting over me!  I told them I was a person, but they wouldn’t listen!”

            “What the hell is wrong with you?” Blake demanded.  “Yeah, he’s tiny, and I can’t really explain that, but he was yelling at you to put him down!  Why the hell didn’t you listen?”

            Mrs. Henley’s face had gone pale.  Rebecca, the clerk, was standing with her hands clasped over her mouth in a gesture of dismay.  But Mrs. Witherspoon, the woman who had first taken Adam, was still staring hungrily at him.  “I’ll give you ten thousand dollars for him,” she announced.  “I can write you a check right now, or we can go down to the bank and get cash!”

            “Holy shit, lady!” Adam yelled.  “I’m a person!  I’m not for sale!”

            “Everything is for sale at the right price,” Witherspoon declared.  She smiled sweetly at Blake.  “What do you say?”

            “Lady, if you don’t get the hell out of my face right now, I won’t be responsible for what happens,” Blake warned.

            Mrs. Witherspoon snorted.  Then she turned on the heel of her expensive boots and headed out of the store.

            “I’m so sorry,” Mrs. Henley was apologizing.  “I didn’t realize, I mean, I never thought…!”

            “Holy shit, me too,” Rebecca moaned.  “Sir, I’m so sorry.  You’re just so tiny, I thought you were this amazing doll!  I never considered you could somehow be a tiny man!”

            “Yeah, well, I am,” Adam grumbled.  “I don’t know what happened to me.  I started out six feet tall, but I somehow ended up shrunk.  Now here I am.  We just came in here to get some supplies for me when that woman…!”  Adam glared daggers towards the door.

            “Oh!”  Mrs. Henley’s face broke out into a sunny smile.  “You… you need supplies?  You can actually use my doll accessories?  Oh!  This is amazing!”

            Then, to the shock of both Adam and Blake, she immediately offered Adam a job.  

            Half an hour later, Blake was heading out of the store.  His arms were loaded down with shopping bags.  Adam rode in his pocket, laughing.  “Oh, what are the chances?” Adam laughed.  “All this stuff for free, plus a new job, with better pay than I had before!  And all I gotta do is wear new clothes, play with doll stuff, and look adorable!”

            “You’re ridiculous,” Blake noted, shaking his head.  “But I gotta say, you prancing around in a window display is gonna be some seriously good advertising, if the reactions of those women today mean anything!  Besides, you deserve some good luck.  God knows things haven’t been going real well for you lately!”

            “Hello!  You finally came out!”

            Adam looked towards the speaker and his good mood was immediately gone.  Mrs. Witherspoon had apparently been waiting outside.  Adam groaned.  “What do you want?”

            But the woman’s eyes were on Blake.  She had a checkbook in one hand and a pen in the other.  “Name your price,” she announced.  “Let me have him, and you can come visit him any time.  He won’t lack for anything!”

            “Lady, are you for real?!” Blake exclaimed.

            “I’ll put Mrs. Henley on commission, have her make him anything he needs,” Witherspoon went on as if he hadn’t spoken.  “Just name your price!  $20,000?  $25,000?”  Her pen was poised above her checkbook.

            Blake angrily shoved his bags into the back seat of his car and turned to face the woman.  He kept one hand protectively over Adam in his pocket.  “Listen, you stupid woman, this country we’re living in now?  It’s called the United States of America,” he told her.  “About a hundred years ago, this guy called Abraham Lincoln made it illegal to own someone.  So for the last time, Adam is not for sale!”

            “Adam?  That’s what you call him?”  She cocked her head, eyeing Adam.  “Alright, that will do.  $30,000!”

            “Fuck me,” Adam groaned.  “You are one seriously sick bitch, do you know that, lady?  For the last time, you can’t buy me!”

            “$40,000!  I can get it for you in cash, free and clear!”

            “You know what, this conversation’s over,” Blake grumbled.  He pushed past the woman and climbed into his car.

            The woman hurried after him knocking on his window as Blake started his car.  “I’ll pay you $50,000, cash!  And you can visit with him anytime you want!  Just let me have him.  I’ve got to have him!  You’re throwing away a fortune, don’t be a fool!”

            Blake didn’t respond.  Adam gave her both middle fingers, blowing kisses at her as Blake angrily pulled away.  “Wow,” Blake grumbled.  “Just wow!  You know, if Mrs. Henley does put you in her window display, she’d better hire extra security!”

            “She can afford it,” Adam sighed.  “I saw some of the price tags in there.  You know we got at least a couple thousand dollars’ worth of stuff for free?”

            “She said it’s a hiring bonus,” Blake recalled.  He shook his head and smiled.  “A full set of clothing, a dining set with tiny silverware, a complete bathroom set with a functional flush toilet, sink and shower, and a canopy bed with several sheet and blanket sets?  That’s wild!”  He glanced down at Adam in his pocket, and his face grew soft.  “I’m sorry you need it, baby.  But at least you got it.”

            “Yeah.”  Adam absently ran his hand over the edge of Blake’s pocket.  “Do you think I’ll keep shrinking?”

            “I hope not,” Blake replied.  “But that’s what we’re going to try to find out.  Next stop, Ms. Lorena Ott, Practitioner of the Arcane Arts!”


	4. Chapter 4

            Adam expected beaded curtains, weird new age music, and crystals galore.  He expected Ms. Lorena Ott to wear long flowing black gowns, have black nail polish and black hair with a white streak, and to speak with a fake gypsy accent.  Instead, they arrived at a cheerful looking two-story house with a white picket fence and a friendly dog that greeted them at the door.  The inside was full of sunlight streaming through the windows around white curtains.  Flowers were present in a vase on the table.  And Ms. Ott herself looked like a librarian, a school teacher, or the lady who played the organ at church.  She wore a floral print dress with a pink beaded necklace.  Her grey hair was drawn back into a bun.  She wore wire rim glasses.  Her perfume smelled faintly of lilacs.

            When Blake rang, she let him in with a pleasant smile, asking what she could do for him?  And Blake had, without a word, let Adam climb into his hands and then placed him on the table.  Now the three of them were at the table having tea.  Blake and Ms. Ott, who insisted they call her Lorena, were sitting sipping from their cups.  Lorena’s knickknack shelf had produced a miniature porcelain tea set that, once carefully washed out, served Adam.  Adam sat cross-legged on the table near Blake, sipping his tea.  In his hands, the cup and saucer were the perfect size.  If he hadn’t been sitting on a kitchen table with two people looming over him, Adam could almost imagine he was back to normal.  He and Blake had explained all they could.  Now Lorena had taken out an ancient leather-bound book and was looking through it.

            “I wish I could say this was new, or unusual,” she explained calmly.  “But there have been whispers that this sort of thing is happening more and more frequently.  This spell typically has two components to it.  The first is physical, a potion.”

            “Yeah, they gave me a drink,” Adam confirmed with a sigh.

            “You drank a drink from a stranger?  That was foolish, young man!” she scolded.  “But in your defense, it would have been harmless if it hadn’t been for the second component of the curse, which is of course the casting of the spell.”

            “The lady chanting,” Blake said.  “We already figured this part out.  What we can’t understand is why?”

            “Oh, that’s the simple part, unfortunately,” Lorena explained.  She indicated Adam.  “They did it for money.  Young man, you are extremely valuable!”

            “Valuable?”  Blake and Adam exchanged a confused look.

            “Oh, absolutely!  You see, the rich have always sought out exotic pets.  And what could be more exotic than a tiny human being?”

            Adam nearly choked.  “Pet?  Wait, you’re saying these people did this to me so they could keep me as a pet?!”

            “Oh, no,” she corrected.  “If they just wanted someone for a pet, there are far easier prey that could be taken in safer areas than what you described.  You were taken from a public place with a great deal of risk, as demonstrated when this gentleman here rescued you.  No, it’s more likely that you were selected because you meet certain criteria put in place by buyers.  Is there anything special or unusual about you?  You’re very handsome, but I suspect there’s more to it than that.”

            “He’d just won a singing contest.”  Blake’s face was pale.  “They tried to take him right outside the bar where the contest was, and they gave him the drink in the bar!”

            Lorena nodded.  “That’s probably it, then.  The order was likely for a handsome male singer.  And he fit the bill.”

            Adam’s attention was locked on Blake.  His big man’s face was twisted into a grimace.  His hands were clenched into tight fists, and his eyes were closed.  Blake’s head leaned forward, all the blood drained from his face.  “Blake?” Adam called gently.  “It wasn’t your fault!”

            “The hell it wasn’t!” Blake roared.  “One vote.  You won that contest by one vote, Adam!  And I voted for you, because I wanted you to win, because I know how competitive you are and it would mean so much more to you than it did to me!  I’m the one who set them on you!  I did that, me!”

            Adam jumped up and ran to his boyfriend, climbing onto Blake’s forearm to hug his bicep.  “You couldn’t have known,” he soothed.  “You did a sweet thing for me, Big Country!  It's not your fault!  There was no way you could have known that some crazy sorcerers would come after me for winning that stupid contest!  They could just as easily have come for you, you know.  I only won by one vote!”

            “Yeah.  Mine!  And you know something Adam?”  Blake looked at Adam and forced a sickly grin.  “I think they did come for me.  We _both_ got drinks on the house that night, remember?  They may have taken you because you won, or maybe just because you were outside alone.  But they could just as easily have taken me!  And I wish to God they had!”

            Adam punched Blake’s arm.  “Don’t you say that!  We’d be just as screwed if it had been you, ok?”

            Blake gently rubbed Adam’s back with the pad of his finger.  “Maybe.  But this happened to you, and that’s killing me, Rockstar.”  He looked back at Lorena.  “Biggest question is, if it’s some kind of magic spell, then how do we reverse it?”

            “Mmm, that’s difficult,” Lorena said.  “You see, this isn’t a magic spell, it’s a curse, very old and very powerful.  It’s actually designed to bring down an enemy spell caster.  And it can only be reversed by the one who cast it.”

            Blake’s face fell.  “So, you’re saying that we gotta find this crazy bitch and make her change him back?  How the hell do we do that?”

            Lorena helplessly spread her hands.  “I wish I could be of more help to you.  At most, I can offer a location spell to try to track her?”

            “We’ll take it,” Adam called.  “How much is it going to cost us?”

            She named a sum that made both men swallow hard and exchange a glance.  “Maybe you should have sold me after all, Blake,” Adam joked weakly.

            Blake gave him a dirty look.  Then he turned his pleading eyes towards Lorena.  “Can we maybe do installments?” he asked.

            “You’re young boys,” Lorena sighed.  “It’s clear you don’t have a lot of money.  And I hate to ask so much of you!  But the components needed to prevent this spell from being traced back to me are expensive and difficult to obtain.  I’m afraid I have no choice.”

            “I see.”  Blake rubbed at his face.  “Alright.  I’ll get it.”

            “Blake!” Adam protested.  “From where?”

            “I’ll find a way, alright?” Blake snapped, uncharacteristically waspish.  “I’ll figure something out.  We gotta get you back to normal, Rockstar, and I’ll pay whatever it takes to do that.”

            “But even if we buy this spell and find this lady, how are we going to get her to change me back?” Adam challenged.  “Especially if I’m valuable, and they already have someone who wants to buy me badly enough to specifically order a male singer!  And you know I’m valuable, Blake.  That bitch at the doll shop was proof enough of that!”

            “Yeah, I got it.  And that’s precisely why I gotta get you changed back, before something happens to you!”  Blake finished his tea and held his hand down for Adam to climb onto.  “C’mon, let’s get back.  Ms. Ott, I’ll contact you as soon as I have the money.”

            Adam climbed into Blake’s pocket.  The two were quiet on the ride back, each lost in his own thoughts.  Adam’s thoughts were on Blake.  He could see no way that his Big Country could get together the kind of money Lorena was asking for.  But he also knew that Blake was determined to try.  Just how far would Blake go to get it?  And once he found her, what, exactly, would he do to convince the woman to change Adam back?

****

            Saturday nights had always been date night for Blake and Adam.  Blake was determined that tonight would be no exception.  First was dinner by candlelight.  Blake grilled a juicy steak and made several side dishes.  He set Adam’s new dining set on the table near his plate.  Then he made some delicate cuts and loaded up the miniature serving dishes for Adam’s table.

            Adam, smiling, pulled up his chair.  The candle near him was like a streetlight.  He opened the tiny square of cloth that served as his napkin and spread it across his lap.  Then he began to plate his food.  “Smells great, Blake!”

            “Hell of a lot better than what you can cook,” Blake declared.  “If our positions had been reversed, we’d both starve.”

            “Hey!”

            Blake laughed.  He poured some sparkling grape juice into his glass, got some with a medicine dropper, and carefully filled Adam’s glass.  Then he held his glass towards Adam.  Adam beamed, picked up his glass, and carefully tapped it to Blake’s.  The carbonation was a problem, filling up half his glass with a giant bubble.  But Adam didn’t care.  His new dining set brought a soothing sense of normalcy, even though he was sitting at a table that was sitting on a table.  For the first time since he’d been altered, he could really settle down and enjoy his meal.

            Blake, apparently, felt it too.  “You know, looking at you sitting there at that table in the candlelight?  You look…”

            “…Normal,” Adam filled in.  “I know.  Going to that store was a good idea.”

            Blake smiled.  “That wasn’t what I was going to say.  I was going to say you look beautiful, Adam.”

            Adam blushed and beamed.

            After dinner, Adam insisted on doing his own dishes.  Blake found a couple of small containers used for storing dressing and filled one with soapy water, the other with plain water.  Then he took a pair of scissors and cut small squares from a dish cloth and kitchen towel.  Adam happily washed up and dried, handing his dishes to Blake to put away.  Then he jogged out of the kitchen towards the living room.

            Blake had already set his working toy recliner on the floor for Adam.  Adam climbed in, and Blake gently lifted the chair with him in it, setting him on the end table next to Blake’s big chair to watch a movie.  It was a comedy that Adam quite enjoyed.  But although Blake chuckled frequently, the big man didn’t seem to enjoy it as much as he usually did.

            Seeing Adam’s questioning look, Blake smiled.  “I’m just worried, is all,” he explained.  “What Lorena said, about how valuable you are?  I just keep thinking about that Witherspoon woman and how she just would not take no for an answer!  I cannot believe that bitch actually was chasing after the car, still trying to buy you!”  He shook his head.  “If Lorena’s right, she’s far from the only one.  The idea that people are out there actually putting in _orders_ for people?  Honestly that scares the shit out of me, even more so than the knowledge that it’s possible to do this to someone!”

            “Yeah,” Adam agreed.  He curled up in his chair, wrapping his arms around himself.  “Don’t think that hasn’t occurred to me already.  You can’t watch me every second, and sooner or later, I’ll run into someone else like Mrs. Witherspoon, someone who will only see me as something to be possessed instead of a person.  I’ve still got my cell phone, but the battery’s long gone and there’s no way to charge it.  I have that little utility knife on my keychain, but that’s it.”

            “Precisely!” Blake growled.  His hands had curled into fists again.  “Adam, you gotta be careful, baby, so very careful!  I think Mrs. Henley is trustworthy enough, and she’ll watch out for you.  But if you’re not in that window, you need to be right with her until I get you, alright?”

            “Alright,” Adam agreed.  He glanced at his wristwatch.  “You about ready to turn in?”

            “Yeah.  C’mere, I’ll carry you to the bathroom.”

            “Just put me down on the floor and let me walk, ok?” Adam pleaded.  “I love you, Blake, but I really don’t want to be carried around all the time.”

            Blake carefully put him down on the floor, and Adam headed for the bathroom.  Blake had already set up his bathroom set and filled up the water tank for the toilet.  The big man added hot water to Adam’s shower.  Then he cut a piece off of a block of soap and put it on a piece of wax paper for Adam, and supplied another drop of shampoo.  But of course the doll shop had no razors.  Henley promised she’d work on the problem.  Meanwhile, Adam was apparently doomed to grow a beard.  Oh well.  He could at least keep it trimmed with a little pair of scissors they’d gotten in a sewing kit.  Adam quickly showered, rolling around on the hand towel again to dry himself.  Then he put on the new doll-sized flannel pajamas.  The new toothbrush was small enough, but the bristles were a bit stiff.  Ah well.  Beggars couldn’t be choosers.  He was able to do an adequate job with the toothbrush and that was all that mattered.  Finished, Adam headed for the bedroom.

            Blake had set up Adam’s new canopy bed on the dresser next to their bed.  That bothered Adam.  He’d been against the idea of a bed from the start.  It was nice enough, but Adam wanted to sleep with Blake.  But Blake was adamant.  “Bad enough when you were three feet tall,” Blake declared.  “Now you’re six inches?  There is no way I’m chancing that!  You’re sleeping in your own little bed tonight and every night until we can get you back to normal.”

            “But Blake!”

            “No buts!”  Blake picked him up and deposited him, squirming, onto the doll’s bed.  It was a bit scratchy, but surprisingly comfortable.  “Alright, that’s where you stay tonight,” Blake declared. 

            “Dammit, Blake!”  Adam threw a small temper tantrum, pounding his pillow and then throwing himself backwards onto the bed, scowling.

            Blake only laughed.  “Tomorrow is your first day at your new job, so get some sleep.”

            “Crap that I have to start work on a Sunday,” Adam grumbled.

            “Mrs. Henley said the weekends are her busiest days,” Blake reminded.  “You’ll have days off during the week, and one weekend off a month.  Honestly, that sounds like a good deal.”

            “I suppose.”  Adam crawled unhappily under the covers.  The bed was designed for dolls, but it was still a double bed.  It seemed very large and very empty.  Adam fluffed the pillows and wrapped his arm around one, lying on his stomach so he could press his cheek against it.  He looked pleadingly at Blake.  “Please let me sleep with you?”

            “No,” Blake said.  “Now go to sleep.  Good night!”

            “Blake?” Adam called.  “I love you.”

            “I love you too, baby.”

            Adam lay quietly in his bed.  Once again, having things sized for him had been soothing.  He still had the birdbath tub, and had every intention of soaking in it occasionally.  And brushing his teeth at his tiny sink had felt so _normal_ that it had done wonders for his nerves.  He supposed this bed should have been the same.  And maybe it would have been, if it hadn’t been for the glaring lack of Blake.  Adam sat up, glowering at Blake in the darkness.  _Kicking me out of my own bed?  Not today, cowboy!_

            He squirmed to the edge of the bed, listening to Blake’s breathing.  Soon, it smoothed out.  Blake was asleep.  Good.  Adam carefully climbed out of his bed and inched his way towards the edge of the dresser.  He found it and felt along it with his toes, judging distance.  Alright, then.  Adam backed up to his bed, got a running start, and leaped down onto Blake’s bed.

            He landed in a tuck and roll on his old pillow.  Perfect.  Adam crawled across the pillow until he encountered Blake’s hair.  The silky strands flowed through his fingers and Blake shifted.  Adam froze.  But Blake’s breathing soon even out again.  Blake was asleep again.

            Adam crept down, easing himself into the space between Blake’s neck and his shoulder.  There he snuggled in, one hand splayed on the side of Blake’s neck, the other curled under his head.  And then he too fell asleep.

****

            The next morning, Adam patiently endured a lecture from Blake about how dangerous it was to climb into bed with him before pointing out the obvious, that he’d done it and was fine.  Blake grumbled a bit more, but Adam didn’t care.  He had every intention of climbing in with Blake again tonight.  But meanwhile, he needed to get ready for work.

            The white dress shirt had miniature buttons on the front of it, but closed with tiny hidden snaps.  He had a doll-sized jade green tie and black dress pants with an elastic waist.  He’d been given a pair of shiny dress shoes, but wore his motorcycle boots for now.  He’d tried the shoes and they didn’t fit.  He’d put them on for the display and then just walk as little as possible.  The display, Adam knew, was for a new office set that Henley was featuring that week.  That meant it likely included a desk.  Adam could kick off the shoes while he was at it, and then put them on to interact with the other items in the display.

            Blake made them a quick breakfast of oatmeal, the whole time singing “Cover Girl” to tease Adam.  But Adam was an experienced Blake watcher.  He knew the big man was nervous, far more nervous than Adam was about starting his new job.  “What’s wrong, Big Country?” Adam asked.

            “Just thinking about everything that can go wrong is all,” Blake said.  “I want to stop and get you a new phone to put in that display with you.  Then if anything goes wrong…?”

            Adam rolled his eyes.  “I’ll be fine, Blake.  The display is back behind the desk, and someone’s always at the registers, ok?  Even if Witherspoon comes back, she won’t be able to get to me.”

            Blake looked unconvinced.  Sure enough, they left early.  Adam, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself than he had to here, stayed hidden in Blake’s pocket while the big man purchased a new phone for Adam.  Then it was off to the doll accessory shop.

            Blake pre-programmed Adam’s new phone with his contact information, plugged it in, and set it in the display.  Then he had a long, hushed talk with Mrs. Henley while Adam checked out his new work environment.  He noticed a sign in the window and realized Blake was wasting his time talking to his new boss.  Mrs. Henley had already taken steps to protect Adam.  “My name is Adam Levine!” the sign said.  “I am an employee, not a toy.  I’m here to show how much fun the toys inside can be with your dolls and a little imagination.  Feel free to watch me and take my picture, but I am a person!  I am not something you can buy, so please do not ask!  Have a good day!”

            Eventually, even Blake was convinced.  He checked Adam’s phone again, adjusted the angle of the sign, and then hung out for a few minutes, generally underfoot.  Then, after Adam loudly inquired if Blake was planning to join him in the display, Blake finally left.  Adam watched him go with narrow eyes.  Blake, he knew, was up to something.  Adam just hoped he knew what he was doing.

            Meanwhile, he had work to do.

            Adam pretended to work at the desk.  Then he moved to the toy copy machine and pretended to flirt with the female doll dressed in a powersuit there.  He picked up some tiny scraps of paper and pretended to network with the male doll dressed as an executive.  And the whole time, he watched the street.  Over and over, people would walk by, do a double take, and return to the window to point, stare, and take pictures.  Adam would smile and wave, showing off for them.  Every time someone came into the store, he considered it a victory.  And when someone bought something, that was bonus.  At one point, he had a crowd of half a dozen people.  He took full advantage of the attention to demonstrate the working drawers and tiny desktop accessories.  The toys really were neat.  The tiny stapler and paper punch didn’t actually work, but the drawers could move in and out on the desks, and paper could be fed through the toy copy machine, although it didn’t actually copy.  There was also a toy coffee maker and a water cooler that really dispensed water.  He had one embarrassing accident when he wasn’t paying attention and overflowed his toy mug, but he was able to laugh it off and even got someone in the story who later purchased a water cooler.  Success.

            The only problem was when Mrs. Witherspoon saw him in the display and immediately came into the store, once again intent on purchasing Adam.  Mrs. Henley came through for him.  She adamantly told her that she needed to read Adam’s sign.  When the woman continued to insist on having Adam, Henley finally politely but firmly ordered her out of the store.  She went in an indignant huff.  But over and over again, Adam spotted her outside, watching him as he worked in the display.

            Adam took a fifteen minute break around 10, and then had lunch at noon.  Blake had cut him part of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that he’d wrapped in cling film.  He’d included a tiny piece of celery with peanut butter on it, a single small strawberry, and half of a travel shampoo bottle of apple juice.  It was more than enough for lunch.  Adam took his lunch and break in the workshop, where he watched Mrs. Henley at work.  She was working on a wooden horse for a carousel, a custom order from a frequent client.  “You do really good work,” he complimented her.

            She beamed.  “Thank you!  When this is finished, it will be a working carousel, with music and horses that go up and down.  Would you like to give it a try before it goes out?  I could take your picture for the client?”

            “I’d love to!” Adam exclaimed.  “That sounds like fun.”

            She nodded, pleased.  Then she glanced at him.  “Do you know how long you’ll be like this, Adam?  Any hope of changing back?”

            “I don’t know,” he admitted.  “Apparently, it’s some kind of curse.  The lady we talked to thinks that the people who cast it on me want to sell me as a pet to someone like Mrs. Witherspoon.  You know she offered Blake $50,000 in cash if he’d sell me to her?”

            Henley frowned.  “I see.  You and your friend had best be very careful, then.”

            “Yeah,” Adam sighed.  “The problem is, the people who did this to me are the only ones who can reverse it, change me back to the way I was.  So we actually need to find them and somehow convince them to do the right thing!”

            “That seems very dangerous,” she pointed out.  “If these people are willing to curse you in the first place, if you go to talk to them, won’t they just take you?”

            “They’ll try,” Adam grumbled.  “Blake isn’t going to give me up easily.  Honestly, I intend to get the police involved.  Those assholes tried to kidnap me!”  He sighed.  “Why do people want me, anyway?  I’m just a guy!  What makes someone like Witherspoon go so crazy to try to get me?”

            “Because you’re so tiny,” Henley explained.  “You’re like a child, but you’re a grown man who could carry on conversation and interact.  It’s the same kind of reason people keep any other pet.  They’re companions.  And there’s a darker side to it with you, Adam.  You’re a person that can be controlled.”

            Adam looked ruefully at the remaining half of his strawberry.  “I guess so,” he said.  “I hate this.  But I want you to know how much I appreciate that you gave me this job, Mrs. Henley.  Thank you.”

            “No, thank _you,_ Adam.  You really are great for business!”

            That made Adam smile.

            Later that afternoon when Blake came to pick him up, the big man seemed distracted and nervous.  Adam frowned, but didn’t say anything.  Hopefully Blake would tell him later what was on his mind.  He wanted to hear all about Adam’s day, and Adam happily filled him in.  But as they drove, Adam noted a black Cadillac behind them.  When they pulled into the driveway of their apartment building, the Cadillac slowed for a bit before moving on.  Odd.  Adam was certain that the expensive car didn’t belong to anyone in their apartment building.  The entire block was primarily young people fresh out of college like himself and Blake.  None of them could afford a car like that.  But as the evening progressed and he enjoyed himself playing a board game with Blake, Adam forgot all about the Cadillac.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another day. Another adventure.

            Monday morning dawned clear and unseasonably hot.  But Mrs. Hanley had given Adam the day off today, meaning Adam would be home alone.  Blake had argued about that, wanting to smuggle Adam into work in his lunch box and hide him in his desk while he worked.  But Adam had protested.  He wanted a day off, not to spend eight hours bored to tears crawling around in Blake’s desk while Blake worked.

            After much debate, and Adam reluctantly agreeing to stay in his own little bed Sunday night, Blake had agreed to go to work as usual on Monday while Adam called off sick.  Adam wasn’t ready to quit his job yet.  There was, after all, still hope he could be returned to his actual size, and then he would need a steady job.  Calling off sick was simple.  Adam held the ear bud of a set of headphones up to his ear and stood near the microphone to make his call.  But neither Adam nor Blake had any illusions about what today would be like.  Home alone at six inches instead of six feet tall, Adam’s day would be filled with challenges.

            The two had wracked their brains, trying to plan for every possibility.  Doors were carefully propped open so that Adam could easily move from room to room.  Blake made a tiny lunch for Adam, complete with a cheez-it cracker to snack on.  They made sure the waste tanks were empty and the water tanks were full on Adam’s bathroom set.  Several squares of toilet paper were set out, along a paper towel and a couple of Kleenex in case of any unexpected leaks or messes.  The remote controls for the TV and stereo were carefully placed on the floor next to Adam’s toy recliner so he could watch TV or listen to music.  Adam’s bed was placed on the floor as well, in case he wanted to nap.  Adam had already loaded up his little dresser, vanity, and wardrobe with his clothes, carefully hanging things on miniature plastic hangars or folding them into the drawers.  He had a couple of different drinks available in dressing containers, all set up on a cold pack to keep them cool.  His table was ready with his dishes.  And most importantly, to Blake, his phone was fully charged and had good signal.  Blake assured Adam over and over that he would keep his own phone right with him.  If Adam needed anything, anything at all, he need only call or text and Blake would come straight home.  He asked Adam four times if Adam was absolutely sure he didn’t want Blake to stay home with him.  Adam finally picked up a pencil that had been left on the floor and started jabbing Blake’s ankles with it, ordering him out.  Only then did Blake go to work.  And he’d called twice in the first hour, asking if Adam was alright, before Adam threatened to block him.

            Finally, Adam had peace and quiet.

            Unfortunately, their low rent apartment came without air conditioning.  That summer, they’d used window units that had come out of the windows when the weather got cooler.  Now, the longer the day went on, the hotter the apartment got.

            Adam listened to some music while he crawled around on an open notebook with a broken bit of lead from a mechanical pencil, drawing and writing lists and ideas as they came to him.  Today had pressed home the importance of getting a few sets of light clothing.  He had a warm coat, hat, scarf, and even a set of tiny mittens, but he had no shorts except for his boxers.  Well, nothing to be done for it now. 

            Unfortunately, there was little he could do for relief as the temperature continued to climb.  He dragged his recliner under the sofa, where it was a bit cooler.  There, he watched TV while he fanned himself using a scrap of paper he’d found that now served him as a large paper fan.  It was still hot.  He went out and got some cool water.  Then he lay down on the cold pack for a moment.  Ok, that was a little too cool, and now his clothes were wet from condensation.  Adam got into his shower.  The water was room temperature, but still helped cool him down.  He changed into a clean t-shirt and jeans that actually fit quite well and put on his boots.  By the time he stood up, completely dressed once more, he was already sweating again.  This was ridiculous.  He needed to try to open a window.  The question, of course, was how?

            The living room.  It had a set of windows with levers.  He might be able to open those.

            Climbing up to the window wasn’t as hard as it may have been.  Adam simply utilized his milk crate to climb up onto the couch, climbed the afghan that had been draped over the back of the couch to the top, and then jumped from the back of the couch to the windowsill.  The jump was a bit scary.  Adam refused to consider what might have happened if he’d fallen between the back of the couch and the wall.  He’d made it, and going back onto the soft couch would be easier. 

            Adam considered the window.  It was fairly old-fashioned, consisting of a screen on a hinge over a windowpane that closed with a lever.  The screen opened without a problem, and the latch moved easily.  But the windowpane stuck.  Adam struggled with it, slamming his shoulder into the window.  He gave it a good slam, and that was when it happened.  The windowpane popped open, and Adam went tumbling out.

            For a heart-stopping moment, he was falling what seemed like a mile.  He grabbed frantically at the leaves of a vine climbing up the shrub outside of the window, felt it give, and hung in space, frantically kicking, trying to swing close enough to reach the shrub.  Then the leaf broke off, dropping him onto yet another leaf.  A moment later, this one broke off as well, and Adam fell to the mossy ground.

            At first, all he could do was lie there and shake, waiting for the pain to come.  Then he carefully checked himself for injuries.  His hands were a bit scraped up from grabbing at the leaf.  His hip was a bit sore and would probably bruise where he’d landed.  But overall, he’d come through more or less intact.  Adam breathed a sigh of relief.  He gingerly got up, his boots sinking into the moss where he’d landed, and stepped onto firmer ground.  Then he looked up.  The window loomed a mile or so above his head.  Adam could see no way to get back to it.  He couldn’t open the door, couldn’t get to his phone to call for help.  Until Blake came home or someone helped him, Adam was stuck.

            Well, shit.

            Adam considered his options.  At least it was cooler here.  He considered staying in the hedge, but he was particularly concerned about Ginger, the neighborhood stray cat.  If Ginger, or any other predator for that matter, found Adam, it was all over.  It wasn’t a happy thought.  Adam was acutely aware of how much danger he was in.  He needed to find shelter, someplace he could hide or someone to help him.  And the sooner, the better.

            He started walking.  The block may as well have been ten miles long.  Water rumbled ominously from the sewer grates.  And the only person he encountered was a jogger wearing headphones who almost stepped on him when Adam tried to get her attention.  That was discouraging.  But then he again spotted the black Cadillac.  It was parked right across from his apartment.  The door opened, and a familiar figure emerged, her eyes intent on Adam.  Mrs. Witherspoon.

            Adam quickly ran off to the side and ducked into a porcelain pipe used to channel storm water.  He crawled backwards in the pipe, his eyes on the opening.  Sure enough, Witherspoon’s expensive designer pumps stopped outside.  She got down, shining the light from her phone in at Adam.  He crouched on his hands and knees, looking back at her.  “Hello!” she called cheerfully.  “You look a little lost.”

            “No, I know exactly where I am, thanks!” Adam called back just as cheerfully.  “Say, do you think maybe you could slide that cell phone in here for me?”

            She smiled at him.  “Why don’t you come out and use it out here?”

            He smiled back.  “I think I’d rather have it in here.”

            “Oh, now, you’re being silly!”  She reached into the pipe.  Adam rapidly crawled backwards, keeping out of her reach.  He glanced anxiously behind him, realizing he’d come to a bend leading up into the drain.  He couldn’t go any farther back.  Her fingers strained after him, perilously close, almost brushing against him as he squeezed himself into the bend of the pipe.  Then, thankfully, the hand withdrew.  Witherspoon’s head was visible at the opening of the pipe again, frowning at him.  “Come out of there.”

            “No thanks, I’m good!”

            She pinched her lips.  “It’s dangerous for you to be out here alone, Adam!  You’re just a tiny little thing!  What if a hawk pounces on you, or a careless person kicks you?  Come out, and I’ll take you home.”

            “Push your phone in here and let me call my boyfriend, and he’ll take me home,” Adam suggested.  “At least I know he’ll take me to our home, not yours!”

            “I can take such better care of you than he can!” she wheedled.  “I’ve already started making the most beautiful little home for you!  You’ll love it there!”

            Well, that wasn't creepy at all.  She was making a home for him?  Adam shivered and shook his head.  “I’ll pass.” 

            She scoffed.  “I’m going to have you, pretty little boy.  It’s ok!  You’ll be happy!”

            Adam frowned.  “Why do you keep trying to take me away?  I’m a human being, a grown man!  I can decide for myself where I want to go, alright?  And I’m sorry, but I do not want to go home with you!”

            She vanished from the opening of the pipe.  Adam stilled, watching and listening.  And then he yelped when the entire pipe shook.  Witherspoon was trying to pull it apart to get to him.  And to his horror, light began to stream into the pipe from above the curve.  She was breaking it off from the piece going up the wall.  Then all she’d have to do was dump him out.

            Adam scrambled back down the pipe and bolted.  He glanced back to see her still struggling with the pipe.  But a moment later she was shouting his name.  The sound of her pumps on the sidewalk rapidly came closer.  Adam ran as fast as he could, dodging her hand.  He tried running into a yard, hoping to find another place to hide.  But the blades of grass tangled around his legs, and a giant manicured hand caught him in an uncomfortably tight grip.  “Gotcha!” she sang, picking him up.

            “No!  Let me go!”  Adam struggled frantically.  But she held him effortlessly in one hand, the other fumbling with her massive purse.  And then Adam was shoved inside the purse, the snap closed.

            The woman’s purse was filled with all the things women typically carried.  It bounced as she walked, causing him to slide on a compact and stumble over a tube of lipstick.  He climbed up on her wallet, clung to the clasp on her change purse, and shoved fruitlessly at the snap.  “Let me out, you crazy bitch!” he roared.  “You’re kidnapping me!  You have no right!”

            Witherspoon didn’t respond.  She was humming happily as she walked.  In another moment, she’d be in her car.  And then she would drive away with him.

            Desperate, Adam squirmed and wiggled and finally managed to squeeze himself out of the opening of her purse away from the snap.  She was at her car, opening the door and putting her purse inside.  Adam jumped.  He slid down the woman’s pant leg and tumbled to the ground, managing to land on his feet.  She gave a startled cry and quickly grabbed him.  Adam twisted around and bit down as hard as he could on the webbing between her thumb and her palm.

            Witherspoon cried out in pain, reflexively opening her hand.  Adam was lucky enough that she’d only just started picking him up.  He was only a few inches off the ground, but even that seemed like a distance for him.  He stumbled, and then raced under the car.

            “Adam!” she yelled.  “Get back here!”

            “Leave me alone!”  Adam moved to the middle of the car and crouched down, panting.  He found a sharp piece of broken glass and wielded it like a knife, waving it at her threateningly.  “You’re not taking me, dammit!  Just stay the fuck away from me!”

            Witherspoon gave a growl of frustration and reached for him.  Adam darted forward, stabbed at her fingers with his makeshift knife, and then quickly danced back as she cried out.  He’d drawn blood.  That was satisfying.  He held his bloody weapon aloft, menacing her with it as she sucked on her bleeding finger.  “Bitch, I can do this all day!”

            She pounded the heel of her hand against the asphalt, glaring at him.  “Come out of there!”

            “Go fuck yourself!”

            Witherspoon shook her finger at him.  “If you don’t come out of there, I’ll find a stick or something and swat you out!”

            Adam gaped at her in disbelief.  “You’d kill me, you stupid bitch!”

            “Then I guess you’d better come out!”

            “Why won’t you just leave me alone?!”

            “Because you’re _mine,_ dammit!” she spat.  “I followed you back from the store and was going to break into your house, but you came out to me instead.  Now stop this foolishness, Adam.  Come over here like a good little boy, and I’ll…”

            “I’m not a little boy!” Adam exclaimed, exasperated.  “I’m a grown man, I’m just six inches tall!  Holy fuck, lady, what the hell do you think I am?”

            “Adam, just come here, ok?”  She was smiling and coaxing again.

            Adam held up his knife.

            “Fine,” she declared, getting up.  “I’m getting a stick.”

            Oh shit.  Adam had no doubt he’d be injured or even killed if she really did swat him out from under the car with a stick.  He carefully tucked the sliver of glass into the tiny sewed-on pocket at the back of his jeans.  Then he looked frantically around for inspiration.  He saw it when a truck rolled by, slowing to stop at the stop sign.  He ran out, legs pumping, and made a desperate leap for the tow hitch at the back.  He caught it just as the truck started away.  Adam held on for dear life, listening with pleasure to Witherspoon shrieking as she ran pointlessly after him.  He pulled himself up, held onto the tow hitch with one hand, and gave her the finger with the other.

            Now it was a matter of not falling off.

            The truck driver, Adam decided, was determined to hit every bump he could.  The truck sped through town, its tiny stowaway crouched down and clinging to the hitch.  Finally, it stopped at a light and Adam gratefully jumped down, running to the sidewalk and out of traffic.

            He’d escaped.  Now to figure out where he was.

            Adam started walking and soon realized he was in the shopping district.  His eyes fell on the electronics store.  That could be useful.  After his experiences with Witherspoon, Adam was wary about asking anyone for help.  Still, there might be something he could use, perhaps a phone he could call Blake with?  Adam desperately wanted his boyfriend.  He was only a few blocks now from the office where he and Blake worked, but it may as well be on the other side of the world.  Adam needed some transportation.  And what he saw in the window made him smile.

            He waited until someone went in, triggering the automatic door.  Adam quickly darted in behind the customer and stayed low, heading towards the display window.  Getting into it proved difficult.  Adam pulled a few packs of batteries off a hanging display and stacked them into a makeshift stairway he could then use to climb into the window.

            The drone in the window was huge.  Its controller was fortunately fairly compact, at least enough that Adam could handle it.  He checked the drone over, pulled up one of the packs of batteries he’d just used as a step, and loaded the drone and controller.  Then he climbed onto it, secured the controller as best as he could, and switched it on.

            It was a well-built machine.  The drone rose almost silently into the air, lifting Adam’s weight with little difficulty.  Adam hovered it a couple inches above the floor while he puzzled out the controls.  Then he went up and headed towards the door.  By the time the first shouts went up behind him, he’d already activated the automatic door opener.  And when the alarm went off, he was out the door.

            His trip to Blake’s office was simultaneously the most exciting and terrifying ride Adam had ever been on.  The drone moved quickly and kept fairly steady.  Even when the wind blew, Adam was only jostled a little.  He tucked his legs under the support he was sitting on and carefully maneuvered his new ride.  He had no intention of starting a new career as a shoplifter and planned to return the drone.  But right now, he was focusing on getting safely to Blake.  Ah, there was the building ahead.  Adam went up and hovered outside of Blake’s window, flashing the drone’s lights to get Blake’s attention.

            The look on Blake’s face when he looked up and saw Adam hovering on a drone outside his window was priceless.  Adam snapped a picture with the drone’s camera.  This was one to keep.


	6. Chapter 6

            Adam couldn’t remember the last time he was this pissed off at Blake.

            He’d started out on the receiving end of Blake’s anger.  After Blake stormed out and collected him, he’d called the store where Adam had stolen the drone and reported finding it.  Then left work, taken Adam home.  And then he’d yelled at Adam for twenty minutes.  Adam had borne it patiently.  He’d actually felt bad.  Blake had cuddled Adam close to his chest and paced around in obvious distress, even as he’d been calling Adam every name in the book.  It was touching, actually.  Blake had realized just how close he’d come to losing Adam several times in the course of a single day.  And the big man was shaking.  Adam was shaking himself.  Nothing felt so good as being cuddled against Blake’s chest.  Nothing sounded better than his boyfriend’s voice, even cursing Adam’s name as it was now.

            And then the police had arrived, and everything changed.

            The officer was a handsome middle-aged man named Carson Daly.  He was very sympathetic and listened to everything the couple told him, taking careful notes.  But then he started to ask questions.  “Did anyone witness Mrs. Witherspoon actually assault you today, Mr. Levine?” he asked.

            “No,” Adam confessed.  “She tried to take me in the middle of the day, when hardly anyone was around.  No one saw her or I’d have been screaming for them to help me.”

            “Well, see, that makes this hard,” Officer Daly explained with a sigh.  “It’s your word against hers.”

            “Bullshit!” Blake protested.  “She tried to take him back at the store, and she chased my car wanting me to sell him to her!”

            “That’s morally reprehensible, and certainly lends weight to Mr. Levine’s claim,” Daly agreed.  “But let me tell you how this is going to go.  The Witherspoons are among the wealthiest people in the city.  David Witherspoon is a top executive.  Elaine Witherspoon is a day trader.  Between the two of them, they’ve got more money than Midas.  David really loves his wife, spoils the hell out of her.  And the only thing Elaine Witherspoon is known to love as much as money is her damned miniatures!  I suspect that’s where you come in, Mr. Levine.”

            “Adam,” Adam sighed.  “It’s Adam and Blake, ok, officer?”

            “Then just call me Carson.  Point is, we’re talking about two very wealthy, very powerful and influential people.  I can bring Elaine Witherspoon in, and the moment I do, David Witherspoon is going to start making phone calls.  She’ll be out in less than an hour, and then her damned lawyers will find something to sue you over…”

            “Wait, that bitch will sue _us?”_ Blake asked incredulously.

            “Let me finish!” Carson called.  “She’ll find something to sue you for and then bury you in paperwork.  You’ll find yourselves scrambling to get your own lawyer, missing work to attend hearing after hearing, going bankrupt to pay for it all, and in the end, she’ll get away with it.  Because it’s still your word against hers.”

            “This is such bullshit!” Adam yelled.  “She tried to kidnap me!  She told me she was going to break into our apartment!  She was going to swat me out from under the car with a stick, which probably would have killed me!  I…”  He brightened.  “Wait a minute!  It’s not just my word against hers, I have proof!”  Adam reached into the pocket at the back of his jeans and triumphantly produced the bloody sliver of glass.  “I stabbed her finger when she was trying to get me.  This will match her blood and prove my story!”

            Carson’s face lit up.  “Great!  Let me get a bag for that.  Ok, drop it in.  Well done.  And between you and me, nice work stabbing that bitch.  Now, I won’t lie and tell you that this will be enough to take Elaine Witherspoon down.  Chances are, it won’t be.  But it will certainly be enough to get you a restraining order.  Then if she comes anywhere near you, we can drag her sorry ass in, and even their high-priced lawyers will have trouble talking their way out of that one!”

            Adam felt better immediately.  But Blake was still frowning.  “Problem with that logic is that you still can’t do anything unless she comes after him again,” he pointed out.  “I need a way to prevent her from coming after Adam in the first place!  Can’t we get some police protection?”

            “I wish I could,” Carson sighed.  “All I can say is just be extra careful.  And take my card.”  He handed a card to Blake.  “If you see her, if you even _think_ you see her, you call me.  If I can’t get here to help you, I’ll find someone who can.  You’re not alone in this, boys.  I mean that!”

            “Thank you,” Adam said humbly.

            Carson nodded.  “I’ll get this filed in evidence.  Meanwhile, is there anything else I can do for you?”

            Adam opened his mouth to say no, but Blake beat him to it.  “Yeah,” the big man sighed.  “There is one more problem.”

            Adam looked at him in confusion.  And then Blake proceeded to drop a bombshell.

            “We needed money,” he explained.  “A lot of money.  The only way to get Adam back to normal was to find the people who did this to him and get them to reverse the spell.  But I didn’t have it!  I had no way to get the kind of money I needed to buy the spell to find these assholes who’d done this to Adam.  So I…”  Blake swallowed hard.  “I went somewhere, to talk to some people.  About a loan.  A big one.”

            Adam gaped at him.  “You went to a loan shark?  Dammit, Blake!”

            “I know, alright?” Blake exclaimed.  “But I was desperate!  I had to help you, Adam, hell, look at what happened today!  You could have died, you could have been taken away, hell, anything could have happened to you!  And it still could.  I mean, look at you!  Dammit, it kills me to see you like this, baby, and I had to do something!  So I talked to a loan shark, but he’d only give me so much!  I needed to make it grow.”

            “Blake?”  Adam let the warning rise in his voice.  “What the hell did you do?”

            “I placed a bet,” Blake confessed.  “Gambled on a few horses.  And, um…”  He rubbed the back of his neck.

            Adam groaned.  “You lost, didn’t you?”

            Blake only nodded.

            Carson buried his face in his hands and groaned.  “Blake, why didn’t the two of you come to me right away?  We’ve had a rash of missing persons cases with the past few months, and a few of the things you’ve told me tonight match up with some of the details of those cases.  What happened to Adam may very well be the last piece of information we needed to connect them!  You wouldn’t need money to buy a spell if you’d only let us do the work of finding these people for you!”

            “I get it!” Blake yelled, flustered.  “I fucked up!  And now these guys are going to come after me for money I don’t fucking have!  I don’t care if they beat the shit out of me, but if they come for me, they’ll find Adam.  And Adam, he’s valuable!  If they realize that, figure out that they can potentially sell Adam for way more than I owe them…?”

            Carson nodded.  “You said Elaine Witherspoon offered you $50,000 to buy Adam?”

            Blake nodded again, looking miserable.  “Yeah.  And if I know anything about rich people, it’s that they hate being separated from their money.  So the fact she was offering a nobody like me fifty grand for Adam made it obvious that he was worth a hell of a lot more!”

            Adam went quiet and still.  Blake was right.  But that didn’t excuse the terrible risk he’d taken.  “Blake?” Adam asked, straining to control his temper.  “How much are you in for?”

            Blake told him.

            Adam raced towards the edge of the table where he’d been pacing around as they spoke to Carson and dove onto Blake.  His tiny fists flailed at Blake’s stomach, pounding away with all his strength.  “You stupid motherfucker!” he roared.  “How could you do it?  How could you risk yourself like that?!”

            “Adam…” Blake groaned.  He carefully gathered Adam up.

            “No!” Adam screamed, kicking.  “Put me down!  You bastard, what would I have done, huh?  What the hell would have happened to me if anything happened to you?”

            Blake cuddled Adam to his chest again and let him pound at it.  Blake squeezed his eyes shut, bearing the assault patiently.  “What do I do, Carson?” he asked.

            “You give me everything,” Carson told him.  “Names, dates, places, times.  And then you help us set up a sting, take these guys down.”

            “What?  No!” Adam yelled.

            “Alright,” Blake said at the same time.

            And that was it.  Nothing Adam could say or do would deter Blake.

            That night, Adam lay in a ball under the covers in his tiny bed.  He was snug and warm under the little blankets and comforter.  And yet he still felt cold.  He clutched his pillow, keeping his back to his boyfriend when Blake came into the room.

            “Adam?”

            Adam didn’t answer.

            He heard the sound of Blake’s footsteps coming closer, felt Blake’s breath as he leaned down towards Adam’s bed.  Then Blake began to gently stroke along Adam’s side with the pad of one finger.  “I’m sorry, Rockstar.”  Blake’s voice was barely a whisper.  “I know you’re upset, and scared.  Hell, I’ve been scared since this happened!  I know you feel helpless.  God knows you’ve got every right to be.  What happened to you?  Adam, I had to try!  I had to do something to make it right.  Because there’s one thing you don’t seem to understand.  You’re six inches tall and the whole world’s designed against you.  But I’m six feet five, and I feel every bit as helpless as if I were your size!  Because there’s nothing, not one fucking thing, that I can realistically do to help you!”

            Adam didn’t move.  He squeezed his eyes shut, going limp under Blake’s finger.

            “I fucked up,” Blake continued.  “I did a desperate, stupid thing.  And I put us both in danger, because I know you’re depending on me right now, Adam!  But God help me, if I had it to do over again, I’d do the same damned thing.  Because anything, anything at all, is better than just sitting on my ass and watching you suffer!”

            Adam shoved Blake’s finger away, threw off his covers, and sat up.  “You selfish fuck!” he snapped.  “Don’t you think this is hard enough for me?  Do you really think I could handle losing you, too?”

            “I know, Adam,” Blake sighed.  “But I want you to be real honest, now.  If our positions were reversed, wouldn’t you do the exact same thing?”

            Adam looked away.  “Damn you,” he sighed.

            “Yeah, exactly.  Now c’mere.”

            Adam looked warily at Blake as the big man’s hand scooped him up.  “Um, what are you doing, Big Country?”

            Blake grinned.  “I’m gonna give ya a kiss!”

            “No you’re not!  You didn’t brush your teeth!  Your breath’s gonna stink!  Blake!”  Adam squirmed.

            Blake laughed, slowly bringing Adam closer and closer to his mouth.  Adam yelled and scrabbled.  “Don’t you dare!  I’ll punch you in the nose, Blake!  I mean it!  Blake!  Stop it!  Nooooo!!”

            Blake pressed the biggest, wettest, sloppiest kiss he could manage to Adam’s face.  His lips covered half of Adam’s head.  “Gross!” Adam wailed.  “You got my hair all wet with spit, you prick!  Gah, you had onions, why did you have to kiss me when you had onions?!”

            Blake laughed and casually rubbed at the side of Adam’s face with the hem of his shirt.  Then he put Adam back into his little bed.  His eyes grew soft.  “I’ll be careful,” he vowed.  “Carson knows what he’s doing, ok?  He’ll help us with this loan shark.  And then maybe he can help us with those assholes who did this to you in the first place, too?”

            “Yeah,” Adam grumbled.  He scrubbed moodily at his face with the sleeve of his pajamas, removing the last traces of moisture.  Then he looked shyly up at Blake.  “When I get back to my regular size, do you have any idea how much you’ll owe me?”

            “I’ll owe you?”  Blake’s eyebrows shot up.  “I’ve been taking care of you this whole time!  I think it will be my turn to be pampered!”

            “That so?”  Adam waggled his eyebrows at him.  “You want me to take care of you, Shelton?  Happy to oblige!”

            Blake narrowed his eyes.  “Why do I get the feeling that I just set myself up for something?” he complained.  “You know what, I’m going to bed.  Here, let me tuck you in.”

            Adam obediently lay down in his bed and let Blake cover him up.  “I hope you know this is a complete waste of time,” he told Blake.  “By morning, I’ll be in with you.”

            “Keep it up, and I’ll put a fish bowl over you,” Blake threatened.  “Then I can see you, but you won’t be going anywhere!”

            “Hey!”  Adam crossed his arms and pouted.

            Blake laughed and climbed into bed.  “Just stay in your bed where you belong.”

            “Sure, Blake, no problem!” Adam replied cheerfully.

            Blake gave him a look.  “I mean it,” he warned.  “I wake up and find you in bed with me, I’m going to be forced to do something drastic!”

            Adam batted his eyes at Blake.  “You wouldn’t dare!”

            Ten minutes later, Blake was snoring peacefully.  Adam, stranded on top of Blake’s dresser pushed well away from anything he could safely jump down onto, could only sit in his little bed and sulk.  “You won this round, Shelton,” he grumbled at Blake’s sleeping form.  “But the war has just begun!”

            The next day, Adam snuck birdseed into Blake’s cowboy boots.

            Blake responded by giving Adam another sloppy kiss.

            Adam dumped salt into Blake’s oatmeal.

            Blake dunked Adam into the dishwater in the sink.

            Adam snuck a fork onto Blake’s chair, laughing hysterically when Blake sat on it.

            Blake dangled Adam upside-down by his ankle and tickled him with one finger until Adam was screaming with helpless laughter.  “Enough!” Adam managed.  “Ok, I give up!  You win!”

            “Well alright!”  Blake triumphantly set Adam down.

            Adam booted Blake’s hand.  “You suck!”

            “I know.”  Blake smiled fondly at him.

            Adam climbed up on Blake’s arm and took a seat in the crook of Blake’s elbow.  “So, today’s the day of the sting, huh?”

            All the good humor drained out of Blake’s face.  “Yeah,” he sighed.  “And I know you’re worried.  Hell, I am, too!  But we gotta trust the police, ok?  I’ll pick you up from work, drop you off here, and then head out.  And as soon as it’s all over, I’ll call you.  Alright?”

            “Alright.”

****

            Despite everything, Adam had a good day at his new job.  The police, according to Carson, had contacted his old boss from his tech support job and secured special leave for Adam.  His job would be waiting for him once he returned to his regular size.  But part of him would miss this, being paid to frolic around in a display window with doll accessories.  Today, word had spread about him to the point that television cameras were pointing at the window.  Reporters were coming into the store asking questions.  Adam was happy to answer them, glad for the free publicity for the store.  But even as he enjoyed himself and basked in all the attention, Adam’s heart felt cold.  Tonight, Blake would be meeting with the loan shark.

            Adam let Blake take him home and immediately settled into his toy lounger with his phone next to him.  He refused to look at or speak to Blake.  Blake sighed.  “The very moment these guys are arrested, I’ll call you,” he vowed.

            Adam steadfastly kept his head turned away.

            Blake sighed again.  He went into the bedroom to change, and Adam saw his chance.  He ran to the couch, climbed up the milk carton that was still sitting next to it, and immediately climbed into the pocket of Blake’s denim jacket, which was lying on the back of the couch.  There, he crouched down, went still, and waited.  A moment later Blake emerged.  “Adam?” he called.

            Adam stayed quiet.  He heard Blake wander through the apartment a bit, calling him.  Then the big man sighed in exasperation.  “Alright!” Blake yelled.  “I get it, you’re mad.  Go ahead and be mad!  I gotta finish this.  Then I’ll come back and you can yell at me all you want, ok?”  His voice softened.  “I love you, Adam.”

            Adam’s heart ached.  He pressed himself down into the pocket as Blake snatched up the denim jacket and put it on.  Then Blake started out the door.

            Adam hadn’t realized before just how careful Blake was any time he had Adam in one of his pockets.  Blake’s usual walk caused the pocket to bounce, jostling Adam with every step.  Then, when Blake got into the car and fastened the seat belt, Adam was nearly crushed.  He remained still, hidden in Blake’s pocket, all through the drive.  Then, Blake arrived at the police station, hung up his jacket, and walked away, chatting with what sounded like Carson.

            Adam was alone.

            He waited, but nothing happened.  Time seemed to stand still.  He could hear voices in the distance, but the only sound that was clear was the loud, annoying ticking of the clock on the wall.  Finally, Adam couldn’t stand it anymore.  He rose in the pocket and carefully peeked out.  Blake’s jacket was hanging on a rack near the front of the station.  To Adam’s right was a large whiteboard covered with photographs.  They were both men and women, all attractive, with the words “Possible victims” written above them.  To Adam’s surprise, his own picture was hanging on the end.  What was that all about?  Then he realized.  It was the missing persons cases that Carson had mentioned.  These were the other possible victims.  Adam looked over the faces and shivered.  There must be twenty pictures.  Had all of these people been grabbed as he was, shrunk down, and then sold?  Was Adam the only one who’d escaped?

            Then he saw Blake coming back out and ducked quickly back into the pocket.

            “You’re sure you understand what you need to do here, Blake?” Carson was asking.

            “I got it,” Blake replied.  He took a deep breath, grabbed his jacket, and slipped it on, oblivious to his tiny stowaway.  “I’m ready,” he announced.

            Adam was suddenly jostled, and realized Carson had just hugged Blake.  “Good luck, Blake.”

            “Thanks,” Blake replied.  “I’ll need it.”

            Then came another long period of nothing as Blake returned to his car, drove again, got out, and waited.

            Just when Adam couldn’t stand it and was about to try peeking out again, a voice came out of the darkness.  “You got my money?”

            “No,” Blake replied.  His voice was calm and steady.  “I’m going to need an extension on that loan, or some kind of repayment plan.”

            The pocket shook as something jostled Blake.  “Do you not understand how this works?” the other man hissed.  “You see these guys here?  They work for me.  And if I don’t get paid, they don’t get paid.  They don’t get paid, they get very, very upset.  And if they get upset, you get hurt.  Hurt bad, cowboy, you get it?”

            “Are you threatening me?”  Adam was amazed at how steady Blake’s voice was.

            “Bitch, if you don’t pay up, these guys are going to fuck you, perhaps in the literal sense!” the loan shark spat.  “Now, you got three days to get my money, plus 20% interest.”

            Blake sputtered.  “20% interest?  That’s bullshit!”

            “No, what’s bullshit is some punk-ass kid like you thinking he could take my money!”  Once more, the pocket shook as Blake was jostled.  “Here’s how it works.  Tonight, you get a reminder that you’re late with your payment.”

            “What’s that mean?” Blake challenged.

            “That means your pretty face is about to get a whole lot less pretty!”

            Adam panicked as the pocket shook yet again.  Where the hell were the cops?

            And then shouting, lights.  The police had finally gotten what they needed, apparently, and were moving to close the trap.  Adam breathed a sigh of relief.  But then he heard Blake grunt in surprise, the pocket jostled again, and suddenly Blake was struggling.  But he froze a second later.  “Back off!” the loan shark yelled.  “Back the fuck off, or I cut this guy’s throat!”

            Adam immediately popped up, looking up.  Blake was bent back and down, hands clutching at the arm of a skinny, tough-looking skinhead around his neck.  The skinhead pressed the blade of a knife against the side of Blake’s throat. 

            Adam didn’t stop to think.  He climbed out of Blake’s pocket and jumped for the skinhead’s belt buckle.  Then he drew back and kicked the man in the nuts with all the strength in his tiny leg.

            The skinhead gave a strangled squawk.  Blake took advantage of his distraction and grabbed for the skinhead’s knife arm, pushing the blade away from his throat.  He twisted the skinhead’s wrist while Adam drew back and delivered another kick.  The man howled, the knife clattered to the ground, and suddenly Blake was free.

            Blake grabbed Adam with one hand, and delivered a hard roundhouse right with the other.  Then he quickly stepped back as the police moved in, clutching Adam protectively against him.  “What the hell are you doing here?!” Blake yelled.  “You could have been killed!”

            “If I hadn’t been here, you might have been!”  Adam shook, delayed reaction setting in.  “Never do anything that stupid again!”

            “Yeah, same!”  Blake sank to the ground, trembling and holding Adam.  “Thanks, buddy,” he said.  “But seriously, never do that again.”

            “I won’t if you won’t,” Adam grumbled.


	7. Chapter 7

            Today, the display was an outdoor playground set.  Adam enjoyed it a great deal.  He swung on the glider with his arm around the shoulders of a female doll, flirting shamelessly for his audience.  Adam supposed that, eventually, the novelty of him being in the display window would wear off and the crowds would thin out, but right now, people were spilling to the edge of the sidewalk and practically into the street.  Blake had accused Adam of being an attention whore.  Apparently, he was right.  Well, so what?  Adam was very much enjoying himself.  He climbed over the jungle gym.  He slid down the slide.  He stood in the middle of the see-saw where two child dolls had been placed and made it move.  He got on the swing set, got some height built up, and then jumped.  A quick look back at the desk and the line at the register confirmed that the playground sets were flying off the shelf.  Success!  Not bad for a guy trained in tech support.  And Blake had told Adam he could never work in marketing.  _In your face, Shelton!_

            Adam was standing on the swing, singing along to the radio playing inside the store and swinging, when Blake came to collect him.  Adam had been having so much fun that he’d completely lost track of the time.  “Working overtime already?” Blake laughed.  “If you can call this work!  Damn, you’re adorable.  C’mere, you nut!”

            “Blake, I think I know what I want for Christmas,” Adam announced.  He climbed down and ran to the female doll.  Then he planted a kiss on her cheek.  “See ya tomorrow, Barb,” he vowed.  “Stay beautiful!”

            Blake laughed again.  “You want that swing set for Christmas, or the doll?”

            Adam grinned.  “Maybe both?”

            Blake rolled his eyes.  “You’re an idiot.”

            “Takes one to know one!”  Adam pushed his phone out of the display to Blake.  Then he climbed into Blake’s offered hand and slipped into the pocket of Blake’s denim jacket.

            Mrs. Henley stopped them on the way out to show Blake the pictures she’d taken of Adam on the carousel.  “This client actually ordered a roller coaster set, too,” she told Adam.  “She was wondering if you’d be interested in starring in a little video of you riding on it?  She’s offering $300 for a five minute video.”

            Adam sputtered.  “$300 to ride a roller coaster for five minutes?  Hell yes!”

            Blake groaned.  “This is crap!” he exclaimed.  “I’m busting my tail in the office, and you’re making this kind of money to have fun on a roller coaster?  Dammit, I quit!”

            “Tough luck, Big Country!”  Adam pushed Blake’s keys out of the pocket and into Blake’s hand.  “Alright, home, James!”

            Blake grumbled, took his keys, and headed out to the car.

            It happened in the parking lot.  Adam had been busy telling Blake about his day when they were suddenly surrounded.  Blake grunted in surprise when two men grabbed him.  Adam, jostled, fell down in his pocket.  But a moment later, a hand dived into the pocket after Adam, seizing him and lifting him out.  Adam looked up and saw the woman who had been driving the van the night he’d been attacked.

            Blake was screaming and fighting for all he was worth.  But four men were on the big cowboy now, one holding Blake from behind, one on each of Blake’s arms, and one facing him with his hands on Blake’s chest.  His Big Country was fighting, but he was outnumbered and overpowered.  And to make it worse, someone else, a woman, was running towards Blake now.

            Meanwhile, the woman carrying Adam was running away with him.  He fought, squirmed, and tried to bite, but found himself shoved into a cloth bag, the bag tied shut.  She was taking him!  Adam panicked.  He shrieked for help, trying desperately to get out of the bag.  The bag was made of thick heavy cloth.  Adam couldn’t see anything through it, but he heard the sound of a vehicle’s door slamming, and suddenly, Blake’s cries were muffled.  “No!  _Blake!_   Please, don’t hurt him!  You’ve got me, don’t hurt Blake!”

            “Your friend will be just fine.” 

            The woman had started the car, was driving away.  Adam squirmed around in the bag, but the seams were fast, the top knotted tight.  No.  No, this couldn’t be happening now.  Terrified, he couldn’t keep his tears from flowing.  “Let me out!  Please don’t do this to me!  I’m a human being!”

            But the woman didn’t answer.

            Adam kept trying to get out of the bag until the car finally stopped and the bag was picked up again.  Then he was carried for a bit, heard the sound of a door opening.  “I’ve got our little one!” the woman announced.

            “Great,” called a man’s voice.  “Pop him in the tank and let’s get started.”

            Adam was carefully dumped out of the bag and into a large acrylic aquarium.  Even by jumping, Adam couldn’t reach the edge.  Hopeless.  There was simply no way he could get out on his own.  He shuddered and pounded his fists against the side of the aquarium.  “Let me out!” he roared.  “You can’t do this to me!  Someone help me!  Please get me out of here!”

            Adam expected to be ignored, and he was.  Nearby, another woman was working on a computer.  To Adam’s horror, he realized she was setting up an auction site.  _They’re gonna auction me online,_ he thought.  _They’re really selling me!  Please, Blake!  Please be alright!  Please come and get me out!_

            But until Blake found him, all Adam could do was wait.

            Outside the tank, Adam could see a camera being set up.  Lighting was being adjusted.  Adam pounded on the sides of the tank and screamed, but was unsurprised when he continued to be ignored.  Then someone seized Adam, lifted him up, and started rubbing at him with a damp cloth.  “Stop!”

            Once again, he was ignored.  He was roughly cleaned, and then brought over to a table.  There, they’d started measuring and weighing him.  By now, Adam was furious.  He refused to cooperate.  He squirmed and fought while they were trying to measure him until they finally had to physically hold him still.  He jumped up and down on the scale when they tried to weigh him.  He managed to bite three fingers and pulled someone’s fingernail back.  When they returned him to the aquarium for pictures, he mooned the camera and gave it the finger.  He yelled and cursed and spit and hit and kicked and bit until one of his kidnappers got fed up, roughly grabbed him, and then tossed him into a wicker basket.  “God help whoever ends up with that one,” growled the man who had dumped him.

            Hitting the bottom of the basket was a wallop that knocked the wind out of Adam and made him see stars.  Adam groaned, rolled onto his side, and curled up, trying to remember how to breathe.  “Fuck you!” Adam managed.  “I know what you’re doing.  You’re cataloging me!  You’re trying to sell me!  That’s all you wanted all this time!”

            And now the woman who’d taken him from Blake was peering into the basket.  “Alright, let’s talk,” she began.  “First, are you alright?  Gerry, I swear if you broke him, I’m taking his price out of your cut!”

            Adam considered the question.  “I’m alright, I guess.  Knocked the wind out of me.  Hey Gerry, you’re an asshole!  I’d love to see you try that shit when I’m my regular size!”

            “Never mind Gerry,” the woman advised.  “Alright, you know you’re being sold?”

            “Yeah, I got that much,” Adam admitted.  “You want to try to sell me, go ahead!  But I’m telling you right now, I won’t stay with anyone who buys me!  And the police already know about this shit!  They’re closing in on you assholes right now.  Just let me go!”

            “We’ll get to that.”  She had the notebook they’d been writing his measurements on.  “Your name is Adam?”

            Adam nodded.  “Yeah, Adam Levine.”

            “And how old are you?”

            “I’m twenty-three.  My boyfriend’s twenty-five.  And he will never stop looking for me!  He’ll find me, and every one of you assholes is going to rot in jail!”

            “Your boyfriend is Blake Shelton?”

            Adam stilled.  “How do you know that?  What did you do to Blake?!”

            “Let me explain what happened,” the woman began.  “We offer a service and sell specialized merchandise to very select buyers based on certain pre-selected criteria.”

            “You shrink people, kidnap them, and sell them special order,” Adam said bitterly.  “I know this.  And you did this shit to me because some rich fucker wanted a male singer!”

            “Actually, that is where you’re wrong,” the woman corrected.  “Well, you’re not entirely wrong, but you’re missing the point.  We did take a special order the night we cursed you.  But the order was actually for an attractive singing male _cowboy._   And it was a surprisingly difficult order to fill!”

            Adam blinked.  “What?”

            “It was Shelton that we really wanted.  He’s the one who fit the order, the one we’d been looking for for three months!  You just happened to be with him, you’re attractive, and you have a beautiful voice.  So we took the opportunity…”

            “Wait, you wanted Blake?”  Adam was shocked.  “You only took me because I was with him?  But you had a chance to get Blake that night when he came after me!  I know you gave him the drink already, so why didn’t you just cast the spell on him then?”

            “The curse can be cast on up to two subjects at one time,” the woman explained.  “But there are limits to the magic.  Once it’s cast, it can’t be cast again until it’s taken effect completely.  So that meant we couldn’t take our cowboy until you’d been reduced to your final size.  It’s a bit of a design flaw, but it’s meant to reduce fatalities.”

            _“Fatalities?!”_

            “Yes, the process of rapid reduction is a shock to your system that can be fatal,” she explained, seeming oblivious to Adam’s horrified expression.  “That’s why the initial reduction is only half size.  The full reduction takes place gradually, over a couple of hours, to give the subject time to adjust.  That night, when our cowboy didn’t come out, we incorrectly assumed we’d lost him and took the opportunity to collect you.  But once we’d cursed you, our cowboy came out and everything went very wrong at that point.  Obviously, we still wanted our cowboy, and now he had you.  So we chased you, meaning to take you both and just curse our cowboy later, after you’d been completely reduced.  But he got away from us.”  She frowned.  “You were very difficult to find!  But then suddenly there you were on the news, in the display for that store!  So we moved very quickly.  We planned to take you and then try to get the location of our cowboy from you.  But our luck that our cowboy came out with you!  One more day, and the potion would have worn off.  We thought we might have lost our cowboy forever!  But now we finally have our prize, and you as a bonus!”

            “No!”  Adam clenched his fists.  “No, please don’t do this!  Don’t shrink Blake!  I’ll find a way to pay you whatever you’d get for him, just let him go!”

            She laughed.  “Our lovely little singing cowboy has a price tag of $2.8 million dollars.  He’s been on special order for months now, and his owners cannot wait to get their hands on him!  You, we’ll auction online.  Since you’re not special ordered, I don’t imagine you’ll go for nearly as much.  But I expect to get…”  She gave him an appraising look.  “Hmm, you’re very handsome, and a singer.  Two million, I’d say, at the very least.  I’d be shocked if we got less.”

            Millions.  He and Blake were worth millions.  No wonder this had happened.  Despair hit like a wave.  Adam whimpered and stumbled forward, clinging to the side of the basket for support.  “Please,” he begged.  “Please don’t take Blake away!  Can’t you try to sell us together?  See if the same person will maybe buy us both?"

            “The buyer for our cowboy will, of course, have the opportunity to participate in the online auction if they wish,” the woman assured him.

            That probably meant no.  Adam couldn’t imagine that anyone who’d paid that much for Blake would bid on him, as well.  After all, once they had Blake, they’d already have exactly what they wanted.  “Can I see him?” Adam asked in a small voice.  “Can I at least see Blake one more time before you sell him?”

            “He’s already sold, but yes, you can absolutely visit with him,” she said, surprising Adam.  “He’ll finish the miniaturization in a few hours.  Then we’ll catalog him, and he can go in with you tonight.  His owners won’t be here until the morning.”  Her eyes narrowed.  “Of course, that depends entirely on how cooperative you are!”

            Adam grimaced.  “I get the message.  I’ll cooperate if you let me see him.”  Then he shook his head, realizing what she’d said.  “He’ll finish the…!  You fucking bitch, you already shrank him!”

            “The curse was being cast as I was taking you out, back at the store,” she confirmed.  “Then he was taken and brought here.  We’ve explained everything to him, just as we’ve done with you now, and he was left in our processing area to allow the curse to complete.  He’s already close to his final size.  And he’s been trying to insist on seeing you, but otherwise, he’s been extremely well-behaved.  He’ll cooperate for you.  You cooperate for him, and as a reward, you can be together in this basket tonight.  But that will _only_ happen if you are both very, very good!”

            Adam was.  He let himself be handled and posed, smiled for the camera with a little toy guitar, and let them re-measure and weigh him.  He even swallowed his pride and humbly apologized to each of the kidnappers he’d managed to hurt.  Anything to see Blake one last time.

            Afterwards, they left him in the aquarium while they finished setting up his on-line auction.  Adam learned he was being sold at a minimum bid of $750,000.  And to his dismay, that was hit and passed rapidly.  Adam sank against the glass and fought back tears.  It was really happening.  Someone was really going to buy him!  And why not?  Someone had already bought the man he loved!

            And then Adam finally saw Blake, and he forgot everything else.

            Blake looked terrified.  Adam’s big man was being carried in someone’s hand, only his legs and his head and shoulders sticking out.  But Blake didn’t protest or struggle.  His blue eyes were wide and frightened, but grew even wider when he spotted Adam.  “Adam!”

            _“Blake!”_   Adam pounded on the glass of the aquarium.  But a hand wrapped around him and lifted him out.  Adam didn’t dare struggle.  He was put back into the wicker basket, the lid closed and latched.  Adam immediately climbed up the side and pushed at the lid.  He managed to lift it a miniscule amount before it encountered the latch.  That provided a tiny sliver where Adam could see Blake.

            “Heya, cowboy!” the woman who had been speaking with Adam called, taking Blake from the hand of the man who’d brought him in.  She gently placed Blake into the aquarium where Adam had been.  Blake paced restlessly in the aquarium, constantly looking back at Adam’s basket while he watched the activity in the room.  He yelped once when he was taken out to be weighed and measured, but other than this, he didn’t make a sound.  Blake obeyed every order he was given.  He too was given the toy guitar, along with a toy cowboy hat.  He managed to flash his dimples at the camera.  And then finally, the toys were taken away and Blake was put into the basket with Adam.  And as soon as his boots touched the bottom, he was running forward.  “Adam!”

            Blake.  Blake, here at last, wrapping Adam in his arms and pulling him to his chest to gently rock him.  Adam clung to him.  “Oh, Blake, I’m so sorry!  This whole time, they wanted you!”

            “I know, and I’m so sorry, Rockstar!”  Blake’s voice was little more than a whisper.  “They told me that it was me they wanted, and you were just chance, a bonus they could auction off.  But I didn’t realize, I mean, they gave me a drink too, that night, but I still assumed it was you they wanted!  If I’d have known they wanted me, I’d have gone to them, let them have me if they’d just reverse the curse on you!”

            “No!”  Adam kissed him fiercely.  “No, Blake, they saw we were together and decided to take us both.  If you’d gone to them, they’d have just taken you sooner!  But Blake, they already sold you!  You were a special order, and tomorrow…?”

            “Tomorrow, the person they sold me to is coming for me,” Blake finished bitterly.  “Yeah, I know.  They told me everything.  Blake Shelton, the miniature singing cowboy!  That’s why they wanted me, what they’re selling me as.  All because I wore a cowboy hat and boots and sang a country song that night!”  Blake hung his head.  “Fuck me, Adam, this is all my fucking fault!”

            “That’s bullshit and you know it.  They were going to take us no matter what!  We’re worth millions, Blake!  They sold you for damned near three million, and they’re expecting to auction me for nearly two million!”  Adam shook his head in disgust.  “I shouldn’t have given in.  I wish I’d smashed someone with that fucking toy guitar!”

            “Wouldn’t have done a bit of good.  If you had, they wouldn’t have let us see each other.  And if we still didn’t do what they said, they’d just hurt us!  These people don’t care about us, Adam!  We’re valuable, but we’re just livestock, a product they’re selling.”  He shook his head, grimacing.  “I walked right into a trap.  They’ve wanted us both this whole damned time!  And why not?  Why sell one, when you can sell two?”

            Adam felt like crying, but no tears came out.  He simply collapsed.  He slumped, going limp in Blake’s arms, his eyes staring at nothing.  “We’re trapped, aren’t we, Big Country?” he asked.  “No one is coming for us except the people who want to buy us!  They’re going to sell us, and I will never, ever see you again!”

            Blake couldn’t respond to that.  It was true and they both knew it.  The two of them explored the basket together.  It contained a dish of what looked like cat litter, a small container of room temperature water, and a few pieces of dried cat food.  That was it.  They had nothing else to eat or drink, nothing to lie on.  They tried the lid again, pried at the seams, and tried to force the tight strands of wicker apart.  Nothing.  Finally they cuddled together, huddling miserably in the basket.

            “Whoever they sell us to, they can’t watch us or keep us locked up forever, right?” Adam suggested.  “We’ll have a chance, Big Country.  As soon as one of us gets away, he can call Carson, get help, and come back for the other.  And Carson’s going to be looking for us anyway!  They already know these guys exist, right?  They just gotta find them.  And even if they sell us, whoever buys us can’t keep us forever!  Sooner or later, we’re gonna have a chance to get away!”

            Blake nodded.  “I’ll get loose, and I’ll come for you, Rockstar,” he vowed.  “I swear I’ll come for you!  You just hang on and wait for me, ok?”

            Adam kissed him fiercely.  “I will, but I’m not going to just let them take me, dammit!  I refuse to be someone’s pet!  I’ll fight them, I’ll…”

            “No!”  Blake took his shoulders and shook him sharply.  “Adam, don’t you fight!  You can try to get away, but you don’t fight!  Do not let them hurt you, ya hear?  You’re so small now!  They can hurt you so easily!  And then what will you do, huh?  They can’t do surgery on someone who’s only six inches tall!  So you gotta try to bear it, ok?  I know that temper of yours!  You try like hell to get away, but please, just try not to let them hurt you!”

            Blake seemed all but oblivious to the fact that he was nearly as small as Adam now.  But Adam nodded.  The two stayed close, taking what comfort they could, until Adam, physically and emotionally drained, finally fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

 

           “How is my little cowboy?”

            “He’s doing just fine!  And he’s absolutely adorable!”

            “I saw the pictures!”  The speaker sounded young.  “All blue eyes and dimples, so handsome!  He’s perfect!”

            “And a beautiful voice to match.  Just wait until you hear him sing!”

            “I listened to the recording, but I’m really looking forward to hearing him in person.”

            “Great!  You’re ready to take him home?”

            “You bet!”

            The words pierced through Adam’s sleepy brain like a spotlight through fog.  He blinked open his eyes.  Light was streaming through the wicker of the basket.  Morning.  It was morning, and he was lying in Blake’s arms.  Adam looked up and saw Blake’s pale face.  His Big Country was shaking as he held to Adam, his eyes on the lid of the basket.  And bit by bit, Adam’s horror-stricken mind comprehended what he’d heard, what it meant…

            “Blake!” he gasped.  “They’re here for you!”

            “I know.”  Blake’s lips barely moved.  “Those fuckers bought me before they even laid eyes on me!  We never had a chance, Adam.  You were serendipity, but right from the start, they wanted me!”

            Adam panicked.  “We gotta do something!  We can’t let them…!”

            Blake shushed him.  “There’s nothing we can do, alright?  They’re gonna take me now, but I want you to remember what I told you, alright?  You try to get away if you can, but don’t fight!  Don’t give them any reason to hurt you!  I’ll get lose and come for you, I swear it!”

            “Blake!”

            But they were out of time.  The lid was opening, giant hands reaching inside while Adam and Blake clung to each other.  “Your little cowboy wasn’t easy to obtain, but here he is!” the woman was saying.  She had a pleasant smile on her face and her tone was light, even as her fingers got between Blake and Adam, pushed them apart.  Her hand wrapped around Blake’s tiny body, lifting him up, ready to take him away from Adam.  Blake gave a little cry, his hands straining for Adam.

            _“No!”_   Adam jumped, clinging desperately to Blake as he was lifted up, up, out of the basket.  Adam’s feet dangled in thin air above a surface that seemed impossibly far down.  “Blake!”

            _“Adam!_   Help him, please, don’t let him fall!” Blake pleaded.  He clung tight to Adam.

            “Oh, this one is such a naughty thing!” the woman sighed.  “He’s another one of our little singers, and you would not believe the trouble he’s caused!  Be grateful you’re getting the cowboy!  Now, his name is Blake, although obviously you can call him whatever you want, and he’s twenty-five years old.  He was hard to obtain, but since he’s been altered, he’s been a very well-behaved boy!  I don’t think you’ll have any trouble with him.”  She carefully took hold of Adam as she spoke, wrapping her fingers around his body while her other hand held Blake.  Then she simply pulled the two of them apart.

            Adam screamed, feeling his grip slide off of Blake, seeing the man he loved drawn away from him even as Blake reached frantically towards him.  The blue eyes were filled with anguish.  Blake simply looked at him, his eyes locked with Adam’s, as he was handed over to a delighted young teenaged girl dressed as a cowgirl who waited with her parents at the counter.  Adam struggled frantically.  “Take me, too!” he pleaded.  “Please don’t take him away from me!  _Blake!”_

            But no one paid him any attention.  Blake, now in the hands of the girl, was being admired and cooed over.  He didn’t struggle.  His eyes were huge, looking up from his pale face at the strangers handling him. 

            The family was getting some last-minute instructions.  “Remember, he is a grown man,” the woman explained.  “He’s been well behaved so far, but he’s also bound to try to escape.  Keep him locked up any time you can’t directly watch him.  Oh, and be very careful with any household pets!”

            The girl’s eyes were shining.  She clutched Blake to her chest like he was nothing more than an elaborate doll.  “Thank you!”

            “You’re welcome!”  Smiling, the woman put the toy cowboy hat back on Blake’s head.  “Sweet little cowboy!  He’s all yours!”

            Blake quickly pushed the hat back off of his eyes, locking them on Adam.  “I love you,” was all he said.

            “I love you, Blake!”  Adam strained uselessly towards Blake.  “Please!  Blake!”

            And then Blake was being put into a locking carrier for small pets.  The lock was closed with a click that seemed deafening, locking Blake inside.  Blake’s face was at the grate in the front, still staring at Adam as if burning the image into his mind.  And then Adam was put back into the wicker basket and the lid closed once more.  He threw himself at the sides of the basket, screaming for Blake over and over until he heard the sound of the happy family leaving the store.

            Gone.  Blake was gone.

            Adam collapsed.

            Once again, the top opened.  “Well!  Are you finally finished?”

            Adam didn’t look up.  He simply nodded.

            “Good.  Well, little singer, you did very well at auction!  Your final price was $2.3 million, and your owner will be here within the hour to pick you up.  Do please try to behave yourself?”

            He’d been sold, and someone was coming to take him.  But Adam simply didn’t care.  He was left in the wicker basket, where he sat dejectedly against the side and waited.  And then finally he was taken out and handed over into the eager hands of his new owner.

            Mrs. Emily Witherspoon smiled down at him.  “Finally!” she exclaimed.  “You have no idea what I had to go through to get you!”

            “I have to warn you, this little boy is a bit of a trouble maker,” the woman warned.  “He’s been very naughty!  I’m afraid you’ll have to be careful with him, or he’ll absolutely try to escape.”

            “Don’t worry.”  Witherspoon was smiling as she forced Adam into a locking pet carrier.  “I’ve wanted this one since I first set eyes on him, and I’ve been preparing.  I’ve got everything ready!”

            “Then enjoy him!”

            “Oh, I will!”  Witherspoon bent down to peer happily into the carrier at Adam.  “You’ll be the centerpiece of my collection,” she cooed.  “My tiny, darling singer!  I’ll take good care of you.  And don’t you worry, pretty little boy!  No one is ever going to take you away from me again!”

****

            Elaine Witherspoon was a serious collector of miniatures.  She had entire rooms dedicated to their display, shelves and cabinets, tables and cases all featuring the various things she’d collected.  The more detail it had, the more she treasured it, especially if it worked.  And just as she’d told him, Adam was now the center of her collection.

            Adam’s new home was a large table in the middle of a room full of cases and shelves featuring Witherspoon’s best miniatures.  The table was tastefully set out to display everything to maximum advantage.  A full-sized two-story dollhouse was the centerpiece, but the table was cluttered with items.  He had a diner set with counter and stools, a train station with a little working train that circled the table, a gym with working exercise equipment, a park with model trees and a camping set with a tent staked carefully out on a piece of green astroturf, and even a swimming pool complete with a tiny water polo set-up and diving board.  Right up front at the edge of the table was a stage with working lights and a sound system.  It had a tiny microphone made from a clip mic attached to a pole.  Wiring snaked out to the karaoke machine below.  Everything on the table was sized so that Adam could use it.  The entire table was caged in, with golden bars that attached directly to the edges of the table and arched gracefully high above Adam’s head in a metallic dome that covered all of the items inside.  There was a large door in the front that closed with a couple of small padlocks.  Another, smaller opening was in the back that Witherspoon used to reach in and tend to items in the dollhouse.  It, too, was padlocked.  Adam was, he realized, locked inside of a giant birdcage.  He explored everything, carefully testing where each bar attached to the table, trying the doors, and even climbing on the roof of the dollhouse to poke experimentally at the top of the cage.  But there didn’t seem to be any way out.

            His new owner spent hours with him.  She could walk completely around the table, meaning he had no privacy.  A television was hanging on the wall behind Adam’s cage, up above it.  There was no way to escape the light and sound when it was on.  He could watch whatever was on, especially if he laid out in the lounger by the pool scene.  He spent most of his time there when the TV was on, simply for a break from the monotony.  When Witherspoon wasn’t at home, Adam would exercise or try to nap.  There was an old-fashioned radio in his dollhouse, but it was only a non-functioning toy.  Adam wished it worked so he could at least listen to music.

            When Elaine Witherspoon was home, she loved to have Adam interact with the various scenes.  She never let him out of the cage, no matter how much he begged.  But from the moment she came in, she had orders for him.  Adam needed to put on these clothes and go do this scene, be it swim in the pool or go to the gym or pretend to buy a ticket and ride the train.  But sooner or later, she always made Adam go to the stage and sing.  Witherspoon always chose the song.  She would spend hours making him rehearse a new song.  Then she would dim the lights in the living room, turn on the stage lights, and enjoy her very own private performance.  If it was to her liking, she would stand and applaud, shower Adam with praise, and reward him with a hot supper.  But if Adam’s performance didn’t meet with her standards, she would scold him and only feed him a medicine cup with baby food in it.  Adam learned to hate baby food.  Some of it wasn’t bad, but all of it seemed like an insult.  The kitchen in his dollhouse had a fridge that kept things cool if an ice cube was placed into a little tray at the bottom.  When Witherspoon went out, she would replace his ice cube and give him a medicine cup with fresh baby food to keep cool and eat during the day.  But that was all he had to eat when she wasn’t there.  It irritated Adam.  His fridge could keep things cool.  Why not give him some lunch meat and cheese?  But day after day, it was nothing but baby food unless he put on a vocal performance that met her approval.

            Adam followed her orders without complaint and ate whatever he was given.  He hoped she would eventually reward him for his continued good behavior by letting him out.  But so far, the only time she’d let Adam out of his cage, she’d put him into a mesh laundry basket with a heavy book on the lid.  Then she’d put him right back into his cage the instant she was finished cleaning it.

            Any hopes Adam had of getting help from someone coming to her house were quickly dashed as well.  Witherspoon loved to show Adam off to her friends.  She arranged concerts where her guests gathered in the room, listening to Adam sing several songs.  Witherspoon glowed every time Adam was praised, basking as her friends went on about how talented and handsome Adam was.  Sometimes the guests would talk at him, as if he were an animal.  But they largely ignored him when he tried to talk to them, instead encouraging Adam to perform tricks or interact with the items in his cage.  None of them were even slightly interested in helping him.  It was maddening.  What did they think he was?  An elaborate mechanical doll?

            The latter may have been true of Witherspoon herself.    She’d walked in once and found Adam busy hammering at the hinge of the door with a stake from his tent and tsked.  “Adam, what are you doing, you naughty little thing?”

            “What does it look like?” he’d snapped waspishly.  “I’m trying to get out!”

            She rolled her eyes.  “Why would you want out?  You have everything you need right there!”

            “Lady, are you insane?!”  Adam looked ruefully at the ruin of the tiny tent peg and angrily tossed it aside.  Then he turned to her with a pleading look.  “Let me out?  Please, just let me go outside for ten minutes!” he begged.  “I promise I won’t run away.  You can pen me up outside or whatever you have to do.  Just let me out of this cage!  I just want to go out into the sun to walk around and get a little bit of fresh air.  Is that so much to ask?”

            She only laughed.  “I bought you everything you need, little boy.  You have a treadmill in your gym.  If you want to walk, just walk there!”

            He shook the bars in frustration.  “Please let me out!  I’m sick of this cage.  I can’t stand it anymore!  I need out!  I won’t run away!  I promise I’ll be good if you’ll just please let me out!”

            But she refused, and time continued its painfully slow crawl.

            At first, Adam was hopeful he could find a way out.  But when over and over again he found himself trapped and staring helplessly through the bars, Adam pinned his hopes on Blake.  Maybe Blake wasn’t as securely caged as Adam?  Had Blake managed to escape?  Surely his clever, resourceful Big Country was already going for help.  The police could be looking for Adam right now!  Meanwhile, he tried everything he could try, anything that might break the bars.

            But as the time passed, day stretching into endless day of staring out at the same four walls through the cage bars, the only thing that broke was Adam’s heart.  Soon, he rarely ventured out of the main dollhouse.  When he wouldn’t go on his own, Witherspoon began to physically pick him up and put him down on his stage.  But Adam refused to sing.  He largely stopped eating.  It was nothing but baby food now anyway. 

            His owner became more and more frustrated.  Finally she picked him up and shook him, demanding that he tell her what he needed.  “I’ve given you everything!” she yelled.  “What else could you possibly want?”

            “What else could I want?” Adam asked, exasperated.  “You keep me locked in this cage constantly!  You control everything I do!  I want my _freedom!_   I want my _boyfriend!_   I want you to fucking let me go and leave me the hell alone!”

            She shook him again.  “I paid two million dollars for you!  You belong to me.  Now stop this nonsense!  I have people coming over tonight, and you’re going to sing!”

            But Adam couldn’t sing.  He simply didn’t have the heart for it.  And even when she screamed at him and shook him until the world went grey, it didn’t matter anymore.  Frustrated, she let him fall to the stage and slammed the cage shut, angrily snapping the locks in place.  Then she leaned close towards him as he lay on the stage inside the cage.  “You’ll sing,” she hissed.  “You’ll sing, or you won’t eat!”

            So this was it, then.  He barely ate as it was, and now she was going to starve him?  So be it.  Adam closed his eyes, lay on the stage, and prayed that his end would come quickly.  Maybe, in Heaven, he could finally see Blake again?

            And then, right when Adam had given up all hope, there was commotion in the house that roused him.  Battered and exhausted, Adam looked up.  And there, pouring into the room, were the police.  They shouted, slapped handcuffs on the Witherspoons, cut through the bars of Adam’s cage, and finally he was free.

            And then suddenly Carson was there, with Blake peering anxiously from his pocket.  Blake ran to Adam as soon as Carson put him down, quickly pulled Adam into his arms, and held him tight.  “I got you, Rockstar,” he soothed.  “I finally found you!”

            Adam clung to Blake, sobbing like a child.  “I thought I’d never get out!” he whimpered.  “I thought she was going to keep me forever, and I was going to die in that stupid cage!  How did you find me?”

            “It wasn’t easy,” Carson explained as Blake comforted Adam.  “Blake and the other specialty orders we could find quick once we got into their database.  But you were different because you were sold through an online auction.  The auction had another layer of security that was damned tough to break.  That’s why it took us so long to find you.”  He shook his head.  “Somehow, I knew Emily Witherspoon had you, Adam.  But I couldn’t prove it, couldn’t get enough for a warrant to come in here.  We had to find a way to prove that you were here before we could rescue you!”  He lowered his hands.  “Come on, guys,” he called gently.  “Let me take you out of here.”

            Adam gratefully stepped onto Carson’s outstretched hands with Blake.  And a moment later, they were both safety tucked into Carson’s pocket.  Then Carson quickly left the scene, taking Blake and Adam back to the station for Adam’s statement.

            Adam was rapidly moving his hands over Blake.  “Did they hurt you, Blake?” he asked anxiously.  “They gave you to a careless teenaged kid!”

            “She hurt me a couple of times, but it was by accident and nothing serious,” Blake explained.  “I didn’t give them any reason to hurt me, just like I told you to do, ya moron!  But it wasn’t easy to get away.  They kept me in a big cage a bit like yours, all set up like a ranch with toy horses and shit like that.  Andrea, that’s the girl who had me, would take me out to play with me or make me sing, or sometimes just to talk.  And a couple of times she hurt me because she held me a bit too tight.  Always apologized any time it happened.  She did try to be careful with me.  She’s a sweet girl, despite everything.”

            Only Blake would think of the girl who had kidnapped him and treated him like a pet as a sweet girl.  “How’d you get away?” Adam asked.

            “Because she’s a kid, that’s how,” Blake declared.  “One day she got careless talking on her cell phone and didn’t properly lock my cage.  I got out, got to a phone, called for help, and Carson came to get me.  And I’ve been staying with him or your boss ever since, helping him find you.  The people who bought me only had me for a couple of weeks!  Told you I’d escape!”

            “You did it,” Adam marveled.  “You got away, and then you came for me!”

            “Damned right I did!” Blake declared.  “I told Carson everything, and they got the location of the kidnappers from the people who’d bought me.  They raided the place, got the files, and went after everyone else they’d done this shit to.  And then all I did was search for you.”  He held Adam tightly.  “It took so long!  I was so afraid you’d be hurt, or killed, but even though I _knew_ that Witherspoon bitch had you, we couldn’t get near her without proof.  And then one of her rich bitch friends posted a picture of you, standing on the stage in that cage, and went on about how much she enjoyed Witherspoon’s new miniature.  And that’s what got us that warrant!  If it wasn’t for that…?”  Blake swallowed hard and tightened his grip on Adam.

            “How long?” Adam wanted to know.  “How long did she keep me?”

            Blake looked grave.  “Three months.”

            “Three…!”  Adam shuddered and thought about the ruined cage.  He’d spent three months of his life trapped there, and only by luck had he been found.  He whimpered and snuggled in against Blake’s chest.

            Blake held him tightly, covering his face with kisses.  “It’s ok,” he soothed.  “It doesn’t matter anymore, alright?  I found you.  That’s all I care about.”

            “And believe me, the Witherspoons are going to spend a lot longer than three months in a cage,” Carson vowed.  “Them, and all the people who thought it would be alright to actually pay to have this done to human beings!”

            That was satisfying to hear.  But something was still wrong.  And as Adam clung to his boyfriend, watching the police collecting evidence, he suddenly realized what it was.  “Blake, why are you still tiny?” he asked.  “They wouldn’t break the curse?”

            Blake hesitated.  “There’s a time limit, a countdown that starts when we’re miniaturized,” he explained.  “Once that happens, after a certain period of time, the curse can’t be broken.  It’s permanent.”

            Adam stilled.  “What’s the time limit?”

            Blake’s blue eyes were serious.  “Two months.”

            And Witherspoon had kept Adam for three.  This was permanent.  He would never be his normal size again.  Adam shuddered and squeezed his eyes tightly shut.  But then they flew open, staring in alarm at Blake.  “Blake, you said they only kept you for a couple weeks before Carson found you!” he accused.  “You got rescued in plenty of time to reverse the curse!  So why didn’t…?”

            “I refused,” Blake said simply.  “As part of their agreement, they agreed to reverse the curse on anyone that could still be reversed.  But I didn’t know where you were.  I knew you were likely still tiny, and once the time passed, you’d be tiny forever.”  He looked away and shrugged.  “I didn’t want you to have to face this alone.”

            Adam stopped breathing.  “Blake, you stupid son of a bitch!  You shouldn’t have done it!  You’re trapped like this forever now!”

            Blake clutched at Adam’s hand.  “I’m with you,” he told him.  “And that’s all I wanted.  For better or for worse, rich or poor, sickness and in health, and now we’ll add big or small, ok?  We’re in this together!”

            Adam blinked.  And then he smiled.  “Blake Shelton, did you just propose to me?” he asked coyly.

            “I reckon I just did,” Blake drawled.  “So what do you say?  Adam Noah Levine, will you marry me?”

            “Did you even have to ask?” Adam laughed.   “Of course I will!”


	9. Chapter 9

            Adam stood before a hand mirror that had been attached to the wall to serve as a full-length mirror and adjusted his bow tie.  He thought he looked sharp.  He had on a white tux with tails and a green cummerbund, shiny black shoes that actually fit well, and white gloves. He picked up the doll-sized comb and ran it through his hair.  The comb was the size of his forearm, but it worked.  A tiny bit of hair gel, and he was set.  He paused, checking his reflection again.  The best that money could buy.

            It was nice to have money.  The money that had been recovered from their kidnappers had been divided among the victims, and it was more than Blake or Adam had ever imagined having.  But they’d had to use surprisingly little of it on today’s ceremony.  In fact, the only thing Adam had to purchase in his entire outfit were his shoes.  The rest had been donated as a wedding present.  They’d paid for their venues, the catering, and their reception hall.  But nearly everything else, even their rings and their transportation for today, had all been donated.  He and Blake were great publicity.  Interest in them was very high, and a lot of people were cashing in.  He and Blake had actually had to turn some donations down.  But they’d benefited from what they could use.  Why not?  After all they’d gone through, Adam was determined to enjoy everything while it lasted.

            A carriage drawn by a miniature pony waited outside.  Blake was waiting next to it.  He, too, had on a white tux.  But he had shiny black cowboy boots that had been specially made, and a white cowboy hat.  “Looking good, Big Country,” Adam called, coming forward to greet him.

            Blake snorted ruefully.  “I thought that all I needed was a cane, spats, top hat and monocle, and I’d be Mr. Peanut,” he declared.  “But it doesn’t matter.  You ready to sell me your soul?”

            “Why not?” Adam called, climbing into the carriage.  “You’ve already got my heart.”

            Blake laughed and climbed in after him.

            Their driver, another victim of the shrinking curse like they were, gave them a smile and started driving.  The carriage had been well-built, with springs to soften the shocks.  It wasn’t nearly as bumpy as it might have been, but it was certainly noisy.  Adam held Blake’s hand and rode happily as the carriage made its slow way down the sidewalks towards the wedding chapel they’d chosen for the occasion.  People were lining the street for the one-of-a-kind procession.  They cooed and took pictures as the tiny carriage and its occupants passed by.  Blake and Adam waved out the windows.  “I feel like the King of England or something,” Blake complained quietly, never breaking his smile.

            “Yeah, well, keep dreaming, little broomstick cowboy.”  Adam gave a perfect imitation of the royal wave, winking at Blake.  “You get to be king of your own castle, and that’ll have to be enough.”

            Blake grinned and cocked an eyebrow.  “King?”

            “Co-king,” Adam amended.

            The grin grew wider.  “Sure you don’t want to be my Queen?”

            “Sure you don’t want to kiss my ass, Shelton?”

            “Aw, come on!  The store’s got some absolutely fabulous wedding gowns!  You’d make a beautiful bride, Rockstar!”

            Adam kept smiling and waving.  “I know what I’m dressing as for Halloween.”

            Blake laughed.  “I’ll be an astronaut!”

            “Sure you don’t wanna be Swiss Miss?”

            “Why don’t you just go as a horse’s ass, Adam?” Blake suggested cheerfully.  “You don’t even need a costume!”

            Adam punched him in the arm.  “I love you, idiot.”

            “Love you too, moron.”

            Adam looked at Blake and his expression softened.  “I really do love you, Blake,” he said.  “You gave up so much for me, your whole life, just so I wouldn’t be alone!  I can’t ever repay that.”

            Blake’s eyes were so incredibly blue.  He took Adam’s hand in both of his and pressed it to his chest.  “I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat,” he said.  “I didn’t give up shit, Adam.  I got you.  That’s all I ever really wanted.”  He smiled.  “And besides!  We got the best damned job in the world now, don’t we?  Playing with toys all day, who can beat that?”

            Adam chuckled.  “You know the wedding sets are going to end up back ordered after this, right?”

            “Marketing, Adam, marketing!” Blake scolded.  “Something a tech geek like you knows nothing about.”

            Adam rolled his eyes.

            The little carriage rolled up in front of the wedding chapel, where a long length of red cloth about four inches wide had been laid out.  Blake scrambled out of the carriage, helped Adam out, and then offered his arm.  Adam took it with a smile.  Blake winked at him, tipped his hat, and then started down the long red carpet to where they’d formally pledge their lives to one another from this point on.

            The ceremony was short, simple, but full of meaning for both of them.  The official they’d selected talked about the real meaning of love and how two souls were meant for each other.  But Adam barely heard him.  His entire world had narrowed to the cowboy who stood with him.  Blake, he knew, stood just less than half an inch taller than Adam, which to his perspective meant Blake loomed over him just as he’d always done.  But the minister who was marrying them was yet another victim of the curse, dressed in tiny flowing ceremonial robes and holding a book he’d hand-inscribed with their wedding vows.  They stood at an altar that was perfectly sized for them, inside of a doll-sized church complete with little pews where the other curse victims had gathered to participate in this wedding.  And here, in this miniature world, everything seemed to be the perfect size.  They exchanged tiny golden rings specially made for the two of them and vowed to love, honor and cherish each other from this day forth.

            It wasn’t until the minister pronounced them married and Adam kissed his husband for the first time that the loud clapping rose and broke the spell.  He smiled, looking out past the edges of their little church to where the normal-sized wedding guests were standing and applauding, cheering for the new couple.

            Then it was on to the reception.

            The small guests had their own little reception hall set up on a table, with a cake that seemed the size of a small mountain on one side and a stack of tiny wedding gifts on the other.  Blake and Adam stood at the edge of it to greet their normal-sized guests.  Their families were here, as were all their friends.  Adam’s mother gushed and cried and blubbered so much that Adam couldn’t understand a single word she said as she spoke to Blake.  But Blake was, as always, a perfect southern gentleman.  He tipped his hat to her and nodded solemnly, promising to take good care of her son until she finally broke down completely and moved away.

            “What did she say?” Adam asked him.

            “I ain’t got the slightest idea,” Blake confessed.

            Their reception hall had a little spotlight.  It shone on Blake and Adam as they shared their first dance as a married couple.  Blake was beyond handsome, gazing down in adoration at Adam.  The applause when they finished was deafening.  But there was one more thing the two wanted to do.

            Blake took Adam’s hand and led him up to the stage.  The stage’s plastic toy microphones had been replaced with a couple of clip mics similar to what Elaine Witherspoon had set up for Adam.  Blake had been concerned that might trigger bad memories in Adam.  Adam had scoffed at the idea, even as he wondered himself.  But the only thing he felt when he and Blake approached their little microphones was a pure, sweet love for his new husband so powerful it made his chest ache.

            “Adam and I just wanted to thank y’all for being here to support us today,” Blake began.  “Now, we, and our guests here on this table with us, went through a hell of an ordeal.  We’re facing a world full of challenges we never imagined we’d ever have to face!  But the thing is, we’re not alone.  Those of us here who went through it got a first-hand taste of it.  But every man, woman, and child is facing a new world right now.  Because we now have indisputable proof that magic, or at least this curse?  It’s real.  Now, even if the world hasn’t gotten any bigger for y’all, it just got a hell of a lot scarier.”

            Silence fell over the hall as Blake paused.  Adam slipped his hand into Blake’s, shifting the new wedding band on his finger.  Blake looked over at him, smiled, and turned back to his audience.

            “Those of us who were cursed, it was done to us because there’s something special about us.  Sometimes, it was because of our job, like Joe here for the crime of being a minister, or Nancy for being a nurse.  For Adam and I, we were taken because we’re both singers.  Now, we talked about that, and we came to a decision.”  He tightened his hand on Adam’s.  “We’re not going to let that change us.  We, all of us who were affected by this curse, found a way to go on with our lives.  And Adam and I are going to keep right on singing!  So we decided to sing a song for y’all here tonight.  It’s a little ballad by Travis Tritt, and we think it sums up what we feel pretty nicely.”

            Applause broke out.  Blake nodded, and the technician at the controls for their reception hall turned on the swirling colored lights and aimed the spotlight at their stage, even as the lights in the main hall lowered.  Blake and Adam turned to each other as the music began.

            _“I know living with me ain't always easy,”_ Blake sang.  _“I dam up emotions some men just let flow.”_   He reached out a hand and stoked Adam’s cheek.  _“But boy, when you're not by my side?  I feel a part of me has died!  'Cause I love you more than you'll ever know!”_

            And now Adam joined in on the chorus, rising into a soaring harmony with Blake.  _“More than life, more than I've ever loved before!  It's absurd and beyond words, I couldn't want you more!  And when I try to pour my heart out to you, I'm not sure it shows that I love you more than you'll ever know!”_

            Now it was Adam’s turn.  His eyes locked with Blake’s and he held tightly to Blake’s hand, singing straight from his heart.  _“I'm sure you've heard it said hearts have windows, but mine has doors a painful past has closed.  Unless someday they open wide revealing feelings locked inside I'll love you more than you'll ever know!”_

            Then once again, their voices joined together on the chorus, this time Blake providing a baritone harmony to Adam’s melody.  Then Blake sang alone.  _“Even when I pour my heart out to you I'm not sure it shows.”_

            And Adam followed up.  _“That I love you more than you'll ever know!”_

            And now they finished in unison.  _“Yes, I love you more than you'll ever know!”_

****

            The store wasn’t theirs, but Blake and Adam now owned the building where they worked at the doll accessory shop.  They’d had a top-of-the-line security system installed, which included around the clock guards.  Their living area was sectioned off from the rest of the store with plexiglass.  Behind it, beneath a large sign that read “Blake and Adam’s Place,” was a castle.  Visitors to the store could look in and see their castle, complete with a large moat, where Blake and Adam sometimes went out in a rowboat, and the playground set that Blake did indeed get Adam for Christmas.  The two men could wave to visitors from the windows or spend time out on the many terraces that were visible.  But most of their living quarters were private.

            With the store was closed, they were taking full advantage of that privacy.

            Adam had never gotten the chance to enjoy their new chair in their old apartment.  But his wedding gift from Blake had been a toy replica of that same chair.  Now Blake was giving him another, much more personal sort of wedding gift as Adam bent over the chair.  Lucky for him, Blake’s stamina hadn’t suffered a bit from the process of being miniaturized.  He was pounding away at Adam while the smaller man gasped and thrashed, loving the feel of Blake’s arms holding him tight against him while he bent over the arm of the chair.

            Finished, Blake tightened his arms around Adam, pulled him up, and then collapsed onto the sofa, dragging Adam down with him.  “Ugh, come on!” Adam laughed.  “We’re both a couple of sticky messes!  We’re gonna have to clean everything up!”

            “Worth it,” Blake panted into his ear.

            “Oh, I’m not denying it was worth it,” Adam corrected.  “But seriously, dude, let go of me.  We both need a shower!”

            “Ok.”  Blake rolled off of the couch and directly onto Adam.

            “Oof!”  Adam elbowed him.  Laughing, they both got up and headed to the shower.

            Along with the running water in the moat, their castle came equipped with plumbing for water and sewer, and electricity.  That meant they had a working hot water heater.  It was easily big enough that they both could have showered.  But they went in together, doing a bit of mutual cleaning that quickly devolved into more messiness to clean up.

            “Dammit, Blake!” Adam gasped afterwards.  “You’re going to wear me out.”

            “That’s the plan,” Blake agreed.  “Dude, we’ve got a whole tube of lube!  That’ll last the two of us months, so let’s take advantage of it!”

            “It won’t last the way you’re going!” Adam complained.

            Blake looked at him.  “You want me to stop?”

            “Fuck no!”

            Clean and freshly dressed, the couple made their way to their living room, where they switched on the mini TV.  For them, it was like a massive screen.  Adam wormed his way up against his husband’s side on their couch, pulling Blake’s arm across his shoulders.  He laced his fingers between Blake’s, admiring the gleam of their wedding bands.  “Do you regret it?” he asked softly.  “Tell me the truth, Blake.  Do you regret not getting the curse reversed when you had the chance?  You’ve got to admit, things are a lot harder like this!”

            “They are,” Blake confessed.  He jerked a thumb back, indicating where train tracks disappeared into a plexiglass tunnel.  “Even with the tunnel and the train, getting around the store and to the display window is a trek.  I used to be able to walk that distance in less than a minute.  Now my legs are so short that if our train breaks down, it’ll take me at least five just to get to the display window to work!  We got that,” he indicated a tiny door in the wall, “so we can get out in case of an emergency.  But if we go outside without someone to watch out for us, we could get hurt, killed, or kidnapped.  And that’s also our only way back in without someone to open the doors for us!  And we both know the reason we need so much security.  There’s still people out there who would pay millions to have us, Adam.  That’s never going to change.”

            “Yeah.”  Adam slumped, playing a bit with Blake’s fingers.  “So you do regret it?”

            “I regret parts of it, sure,” Blake admitted.  “But Adam, we gained a whole hell of a lot, too.  Before this, we were two grunts who were working our asses off just to make ends meet.  Now we live in a castle!  We got great jobs.  We were interviewed by Oprah fucking Winfrey for God’s sake, and you know that wouldn’t have ever happened if we were regular guys!  This isn’t something I would have wished to have happen to us, Adam.  But it happened.  If I could reverse the curse on us both, hell yes I’d do it.  But do I regret not changing back when I had the chance?  Not even for a minute.  Because I hated it when you were tiny and riding around in my damned pocket, Adam.  I hated that I couldn’t help you.  Now, whatever happens?  We’re in it together.  And frankly, that’s all I care about.”

            Adam glowed with happiness.  “I love you, Blake.”

            Blake kissed his temple.  “I love you, too.  Hey, you want some popcorn?”

            “I’ll get it!”  Adam ran into their storage area in the basement, where he got into one of the canisters.  And a moment later, he was back, carrying two pieces of hull less popcorn.  Blake, he noted, had already used the tiny working beer tap to pour them both big steins of beer.  Adam handed him his piece of popcorn and nibbled on his own.

            Blake was ruefully looking at his popcorn.  “You know, if we keep eating junk like this, we’re gonna get fat,” he said ruefully.  “No one makes doll clothes for fat dolls!  We’d have to get everything special ordered.”

            “I’d just put your fat ass on a diet,” Adam announced.

            “How would I even know how much I had to lose?” Blake wondered.

            “We’d just watch this.”  Adam poked Blake in the stomach, making him jump.  “If you get a spare tire, we’ll just make you run along the track until it’s flat again.”

            Blake sighed.  “Next you’ll have me doing yoga.”

            “Why not?  We got two mats and matching yoga outfits!”

            “I want to know who got those for us,” Blake grumbled, looking sour.  “This cowboy does not do yoga!”

            “No, you do me, and I do yoga.  Why do you think I’m so flexible?”

            “Keep it up,” Blake warned.  “I’ll bend you in half again!”

            Adam’s eyes sparkled.  “Is that a challenge?”

            Blake groaned.  “Dammit, you’re insatiable!  We already had two rounds, and you’re angling for three?”

            “I can wait,” Adam declared.  “After all, we got all the time in the world!”

**Author's Note:**

> A Few Words From Fun:
> 
> Let me explain what happened here.
> 
> My internet girlfriend (Nut) is a rabid Shevine fan. So I was thinking about writing her a little story for Christmas. Meanwhile, she got a tiny Spider-man plush that she refused to give me even though it clearly should have been MINE. But apparently, that got her thinking, because she asked me for a story. Nothing unusual there, but this time, she said she wanted a story where Adam got shrunk, "and then throw in some plot twists." Ok, fine. So I started this and she went completely mad. Now, I'd originally intended some fluffy silly bit. But when she did her nut, frankly it was too adorable. So I made it into an actual Fun Shevine piece, complete with all the Easter Eggs, while still trying to keep the silly fluff she wanted. And now she wanted to post it. No, Nut, this is your present, I refuse, if you want it posted, you do it. And here it is.
> 
> Let this be a warning to all as to the dangers of having an internet girlfriend.
> 
> \- Fun


End file.
